F3T

Here they come again to a town near you. Check out there showing here.

Pulaski Style Swinging by Hooke

Fly Fishing Vibes Pulaski + Hooké! from HOOKÉ on Vimeo.

Good Reads by Homies Sporting a Lucky Green Cap

Good buddy Brian Chou who has made a name for himself here in the Northwest for fly tying and casting instruction was highlighted in Thomas & Thomas's Tangles Lines. Here are his Thoughts on Twelve Months of Steelhead.

Chad Brown, the owner and CEO of Soul River was recently highlighted in Gink and Gasoline.  Chad, a veteran has brought his energy and passion of the outdoors and fishing back to the men and women that have served our country.

Rick Matney, owner and operator of Chrome Chasers is one of the best all around fishermen I know. Rick when not guiding for bonefish in Hawaii, steelhead in SE Alaska or trout around Bozeman, Montana swings the two hander and is highlighted in 2HandedTrout. I was able to cover some water in Montana last year with Rick Swinging the spey and its was harder then I thought. Guess dropping a loop isn't a good idea.

Bandaid on an Arterial Bleed

Washington has followed Oregon in banning barbed hooks on the Columbia River from the mouth up seventeen miles upstream of McNary Dam where the rivers turns upstream away from Oregon. You can still use treble and double hooks, but no barbs are allowed. Talk about a weak change to regulations. Do not get me wrong, barbless hooks are a great idea, especially with trebles, but they could have at least added specific tributaries or all of them in the Lower Columbia River not to mention above the Oregon boarder. At least they are tightening regulations finally and hopefully this will lead to further trends in assisting our native fish. Barbless hooks are easier to remove and decrease the chances of hurting fish before release and this rule change may lead to increased regulations needed in the future. Thanks WDFW for following suit.

Read more courtesy of the Columbia River Bulletin.

Skagit Master 4 Out Take

This here is why I will own Skagit Master 4.

My First Fish

A short film about the experience of catching that first fish, told through the eyes of a five year old boy.

Falling Over

Ronde Hillside Photo: Michael Davidchik 

"In the entire circle of the year there are no days as so delightful as those of a fine October, when the trees are bare to the mild heavens, and the red leaves bestow the road, and you can feel the breath of Winter, morning and evening -- no days so calm, so tenderly solemn, and with such a reverent meekness in the air." 

-Alexander Smith

Lillian's first steelhead! Photo: Eric Speer

Fall is gone and Winter is upon us now. It is amazing how fast time seems to go the older we get and the more responsibilities we have. Fall of 2012 was a truly special and this year I was finally able to share it more with my family, the way that I appreciate it. Still with a few leaves left on the trees in my front yard, I am thinking about some of the days spent on the water with family and friends that I will always remember. 

Nothing but smiles! Photo: Josh Cavan

This year my daughter got to experience why I love Fall the most of all the seasons of the year. Though cold, wet and dreary compared to fishing in the summer with her father, my daughter Lillian got to see the Fall through my eyes. Fishing, friends, good food and beautiful landscapes and of course the steelhead I travel to find are many of the highlights. 

Though Lillian did not hook it, she got to fight her first steelhead on the spey rod. Photo: Rick Matney  

Though I know there will be more adventures in her future, fishing and otherwise, I hope she is gaining the insight to why her old man and his friends do this every year, meeting in this special place and sharing the same stories talked about for years. Fishing in the Fall is special and this year spending it with the most important person in my life made it more so. I hope to spend many more with her and the friends that made this a memorable one for Lillian. I am a proud father because Lillian knows me a little more now and well, she caught her first steelhead. That experience in itself made my year. 

Another glorious drift.  Photo: Brian Chou

I look forward to another Fall season and many more fishing trips with Lillian.