Expectation
August 2, 2001
So, what is it about fishing that you like so much?
It’s a question I often get from people who don’t fish much. They usually say they tied it once when they were kids….it was too hot outside, the fishing sucked and they got 20 mosquito bites. Way too boring! A lot of times, I don’t even bother trying to explain — they wouldn’t get it anyway. This is a sport that people relate to in so many ways and it means something a little different to all of us. For me, I think the key element is expectation.
Dreamin’ of Time Travel
May 3, 2001
I’ve always thought it would be cool to build a time machine that doubled as a boat…with it I sure could take some killer fishing trips that don’t exist in the present day. How fun would it be to head over to the Truckee River back in the 1700’s, when giant Lohantan cutthroat trout were swimming upstream out of Pyramid Lake to spawn? Forty-pound trout in a small river…awesome! Of course, I’d also have to fish the North Fork American River around Yankee Jim’s for steelies before all the dams and hydraulic mining messed things up and then I’d zip over to Salmon Falls on the South Fork and watch the bazillions of kings trying to leap upstream. Then, I’d roll the dials of my machine to February 1703 and head for the McCloud River above present-day Lake Shasta. In those days, you could have fished this small stream for chrome winter-run chinook salmon and steelhead at the same time. Before I came back to 2001… if I ever came back…I’d jam down to the Bay and catch sturgeon and halibut until my arms fell off.
Ever Had One of Those Days?
February 15, 2001
Ever have one of those days? You know, the ones that make you wish you had just stayed in bed. Well, I had one on Monday. After a day of steelhead fishing, I returned to the parking lot where I left my rig, only to find my truck on blocks and my front tire and rim stolen. To make matters worse, it was raining and all I had been thinking about for the previous couple hours was how good a hot shower and a nap were going to feel. And that was just the beginning of the bad news — I was without my spare AND my boat was still 5 miles downriver. Luckily, the Fontaine crew from Auburn had been fishing with me that day and were nice enough to guard the boat for over an hour (thanks guys!) while I arranged for a tow and another vehicle to hitch the trailer up to.
The Spirit of Thanksgiving… In the Garage
November 25, 2000
I saw it all happen in super slow-mo. The old woman, who looked like she could be the poster lady for sweet, all-American grandmothers, turned her ankle on the curb and fell hard onto the pavement in front of the supermarket. She was on her way out of the store, carrying two brown paper sacks full of Thanksgiving groceries when she crashed to earth with a sickening thud that I won’t soon forget the sound of. I was only a few feet away but couldn’t get the words out of my mouth quick enough.
Watch out for the….curb!
Think About It
November 9, 2000
Anglers, in general, aren’t perceived as a cerebral lot. Fishing’s simply a matter of impaling an innocent earth worm with a sharp hook and tossing it blindly into a lake with the hope that some unsuspecting trout will swallow it. Then you unceremoniously crank the fish in, bonk it on the head and toss it into a cooler. Nothing to it, right? Well, actually….
Almost a Floater
May 25, 2000
At first I thought the guy was yelling “Bill” out across the river — presumably trying to get the attention of a friend. We were about 100 yards away and I had the motor on the boat going, so I didn’t pay much attention. I continued upriver without thinking twice about it.
Billlllllllllll!
No Bills on this boat, buddy. Then, just as we got almost out of earshot, I heard the voice again. That time, however, I’d swear I heard “Bill me.” It was the “me” part that caught my attention. Unless the man was on a cell phone ordering a magazine subscription, the word “me” didn’t have much use in this particular context. Then it hit me — he was yelling “help me!” I spun the boat around and went rushing downstream to take a look. I scanned the shoreline, but couldn’t see anyone.
Local Boy Makes Good
January 20, 2000
Well, folks, this week we’re going to stray a bit from the norm — something pretty exciting that all of Auburn can be proud of is about to take place. Let me tell you about it…
This tale begins way back in about 1984, when I was a sophomore at Placer. In those long, summer days before any of my friends had driver’s licenses, we spent a lot of time goofing off. One of our favorite pastimes was making “movies” with a video camera.
Christmas Day
December 5, 1999
Hey pal…yea, you. The one with the deep bags under his eyes. The one who looks like he hasn’t had much sleep in the last few weeks. The one with the maxed-out credit cards and the frazzled patience. The one with the 6 new gray hairs on his head. The one who got into a toy store brawl with a big-haired lady for the last beanie-furry-thingie on the shelf and received only an ugly shiner to show for it . The one who, on Christmas Eve, triumphantly flipped off a granny as he snaked her parking spot at the mall…
Steelhead: The Ultimate Obsession
December 4, 1999
I was being interviewed over the phone for an article on steelhead fishing the other day, and the writer asked me all the usual how-to and where-to questions, which I was able to answer without even thinking about them. It was automatic. In fact, I drained a 53-foot computer golf putt to save par on the fourth hole while describing the complex, yet subtle differences in sodium sulfite versus borax bait curing methods. As we discussed knots and leaders, I went on to birdie the brutal over-the-water Par 3 fifth hole, but I couldn’t avoid a massive slice into the ocean on the sixth, when the interviewer asked the seemingly easy question: “So, what is it about steelhead, anyway?”
Become a Better Angler
June 11, 1999
So you want to catch more fish, huh? Well, you’re in luck. I’m going to throw a few things at you here — do a little digesting and then try them out. You’ll be a better angler because of it. Now, don’t expect to be a rod-totin’ phenom overnight. It takes time, but stick with it, you’ll see results pretty soon. So, in no particular order…
