Fishing The Henrys Fork - Box Canyon
February 29, 2008
It is easy to get intimidated by world class rivers.
I guess the Henry’s Fork was a little intimidating to me.
With the old rule of thumb being that “eighty percent of the fish are caught by twenty percent of the fishermen”, I was pretty much convinced that at least for this trip I might fall into the “eighty percent” of fishless fellas category.
Nonetheless– being the supreme optimist that I am– I was up at 4:30 a.m. and heading upstream to Box Canyon. This is a stretch below Island Lake Reservoir, that is classic “tailwater” and a good place to fish with nymphs.
Now for those of you not familiar with the term “nymph fishing”, I don’t want you to race to the Henry’s Fork with your Armani waders and Italian leather fishing vests–because you might be a tad disappointed to find mainly a bunch of fish crazed males when you get there. Nymph fishing is the term used for the stage of life, when an aquatic bug is residing beneath the surface of water, usually on the bottom.
If that gets you excited–then you have potential to be a fly fisherman. But leave the Gucci duds at home!!
Rigid Inflatable Boats
February 29, 2008
A rigid inflatable boat is defined as a hard-hulled boat with air inflatable collars. RIB hulls are made of fiberglass, aluminum or composite materials. The soft bumpers or fenders, called “”sponsons,”" can be air tubes, or all foam systems. These boats are powered by a variety of motors and usually come from the manufacturer as a package ? boat with tube, motor and trailer.
Rigid inflatable boats are more like traditional boats, with hulls supported by a rigid material. The main benefits of these boats are superior performance and easy assembly. To assemble, one simply has to inflate the tubes. However, storage can be a problem because they can’t be made smaller than the rigid portion of the boat. Since an RIB is heavier, a davit system (crane like device) is usually required to bring it back onto the boat.
Rigid inflatable boats can accommodate larger outboard motors than other boats of comparable size, and perform almost as well as rigid boats, especially in tight turns, but without the bulk and weight. A one-piece hull and deck provides comfortable, non-skid footing and a stable platform for skiing, diving or fishing. Although the tubes deflate for storage, RIB’s are not compact, and hence, many boaters keep them on trailers, on deck, on their swim step, or on davits.
Fishing The Henrys Fork…. First Test
February 28, 2008
All the books written on fly fishing all mention the Henry’s Fork.
They say you owe it to yourself to fish the Henry’s Fork, at least once in your life.
As far as scenery goes–they are right. The river around Last Chance is a high mountain meadow meandering stream. The backdrop of the Tetons to the east, and the lodgepole pine covered hills, make you feel like like you are standing in a Trout Unlimited calendar. July looks good!! It is quite wadable and fisherman friendly. It is all “catch and release”-so I guess it makes it quite fish friendly also. The guidebooks also say that when a hatch comes off–you better match it exactly, otherwise these fish will ignore your bugs and turn your evening into a casting session.
My evening was a nice little casting session.
At least I had the calendar backdrop to look at.
None of the bugs I tied on worked, and when I cast right in front of the “fish rings” and drifted over them, it was like a game of find the trout.
Ring here–cast, ring over there. Ring there–cast, ring over here.
Inflatable Pontoon Boats
February 27, 2008
Bryce Whitmore designed the modern whitewater inflatable pontoon boat, and in fact designed several models. The one that has been produced the most is a three-tube model of unparalleled maneuverability and load bearing capacity. This boat which is fourteen feet overall, can carry 6 passengers, their baggage, and a guide.
Not all Pontoon boats are 14 feet long. Some are 8 or 9 feet long as well. Pontoon boats come in all sizes and prices from $200 to $1,000. Users looking for an 8 foot Pontoon should expect to pay $500 to $700 for a new entry-level boat.
9-foot inflatable pontoon boats would cost between $700 and $900, but would offer stability in rivers with some white water. It should be noted, however, that Pontoon boats are not recommended for use in rapids rated higher than Class 2.
Inflatable pontoon boats are also called "belly boats" and are popular for fishing. They are lightweight craft with a rocking chair. Inflatable pontoon boat owners say they like the freedom from trailers and ramps, as well as the Pontoon’s stability on windy waters.
Fishing The Henrys Fork….With Jack Karpawack
February 26, 2008
Jack Karpawack here.
Well, as I suspected, there was no high speed internet available from my “YURT” on the Henry’s Fork. So, I am back in the friendly confines of Southern Oregon ready to give you some recent fishing reports from the famed Henry’s Fork of the Snake River…
…Pulled into Last Chance, Idaho on Monday afternoon.A hot and dry July 18th.
An extensive search of the “nine or so” existing businesses in Last Chance, left me in quite a quandry.Or was it a quagmire?? I’m not sure.
Anyway.
Which of the four fly fishing/ outfitter shops should I go into first for information, a license, and a lightening of my wallet. Actually, it was five choices if you count the general store==or six if you count the “Angler’s Lodge- which also has a fly shop.Heck, who knows the restaurant and the remaining businesses may have carried fiahing gear also!!
At least my keen sense of business tells me that a fish or two must have been caught in this area.Either that, or the largest black market fly tying operation is run out of this “bump in the road” here in Idaho.
Inflatable Boats: An Overview
February 25, 2008
Inflatable boats are made from flexible material, usually rubber, canvas, or neoprene, and hold air at high volume but low pressure. They need to be fitted with a frame to which an oarlock mount is firmly attached. Such frames are either made of metal or wood, or a combination of the two.
Inflatable boats with motors are high speed, maneuverable, stable and can be easily launched from a ship. For this reason, US Navy SEAL’s use the inflatable boat small (IBS) for their operations.
Twenty-three foot long Rigid Hull inflatable boats are best suited for retrieving people stranded on rocky pinnacles among the waves, and are used by the US Coast Guard during Search & Rescue operations.
There has been a lot of development in Inflatable boats. The large inflatable boats have rigid boards in them, and are called Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB’s). They can be driven by oars or outboard engines. The large ones are considered good enough to be used by the Lifeboat men.
The modern life raft is a well thought out, well-equipped, seaworthy fully inflated boat. However, if there isn’t enough air inside, inflatable boats are apt to fold in the middle. Thus, they need to be pumped up to the proper pressure using bellows.
Sleeping Pads For Ultralight Backpackers
February 24, 2008
Ultralight backpackers want to give up weight, not comfort. Sleeping pads are pretty much a necessity for backpacking comfort, but who wants to carry those monstrous old inflatables down the trail? Try some of these lightweight options instead.
You can make four-ounce sleeping pads - then sometimes carry two of them. Start with the plain blue closed-cell foam pads available from any backpacking supplier. These are made larger than necessary, usually 24 by 72 inches. You can just cut them down to a four-ounce size.
It’s important that it reaches from your shoulders to your hips, so cut it to that length. Cut the width a little at a time, testing for comfort as you go. You want the pad as small as you can make it, while still big enough to insulate your torso from the ground. Your head can be on a pillow of spare clothes, and your legs on your empty pack to insulate them.
Sleeping Pads For Ultralight Fanatics
If you want it really light, cut pieces out of the pad. Half-inch holes in the pad don’t seem to make it less comfortable. Cut out a hundred little pieces of foam, and you get to save an ounce and join the ranks of the fanatical ultralight backpackers.
The Fishing Mark of Mablethorpe on the East Coast of England
February 24, 2008
MABLETHORPE, is a beach resort on the East coast of England. The beach is a long stretch of clean sands with some great fishing. The clean and flat ground is excellent for Flounder and the catch here is often flatfish. However, Smoothounds are also a regular visitor to the beach and offer great sport and exciting fishing. Both the Smoothounds and the summer Bass can be found at a distance of only 30 - 40 metres or so and a cast of this length can bring you some large fish.
Other species to be found here are Eels, Dabs, Sole (late summer and mainly at night) and both Codling and Whiting come close in at the end of the year (October onwards).
Best baits would be crab without a doubt! Crab is the best for Smoothounds and Flounder although Lugworm and Ragworm are also good especially for Bass and for enhancing the appeal of a spoon rig for the Flatties.
Santa Cruz Church ? the Portuguese Legacy in Bangkok
February 23, 2008
Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was first built the reign of King Taksin, a legacy of Thai-Portuguese relations that date back to the 16th century.
Nestled among old houses on the river banks and newer buildings inland, the reddish dome of the old Catholic church is a prominent landmark on the Chao Phraya.
Descendants of the early Portuguese traders built the first Santa Cruz Church in 1770 after the fall of Ayutthaya. The Portuguese, the first Europeans in Thailand, arrived in Ayutthaya shortly after they captured Malacca in 1511.
As the area was also claimed by the Thai King, the Portuguese shrewdly dispatched an envoy to the court of Ayutthaya in the same year to reassure the Thais of Portuguese intentions.
In 1516, Portugal signed a treaty with Thailand to supply firearms and munitions. With the treaty came with the rights to reside, trade and practice their religion in Thailand. This brought the first Portuguese friars in 1567 who established the Catholic Church in Ayutthaya.
After the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Portuguese continued with their military support to King Taksin in his efforts to drive the Burmese out of Thailand. The supply of cannon and muskets contributed significantly to King Taksin’s army.
Reviewing the New Berkley Vanish Transition Fluorocarbon Line
February 22, 2008
The visibility of the line was good. As we were using 2 green lines, a yellow line plus a blue line on this day, it was easy to pick out. I am sure it would be just as easy to pick out among any other line as it picked up the light very easily and reflected a golden colour very useful in a tangle.
Casting was no different than any other line we were using once the line had been cast once or twice to bed it down on the reel. We never had any problem with memory as there seemed to be very little compared to Berkley Trilene or Diawa Tournament which we were also using at the time. Memory is a major headache if you are using a fixed spool; we were testing this on 7500 multipliers but it performed so well I would use it on a fixed spool.
The only problem we found was the elasticity. Although soft to the touch and nice to feel, it was very difficult to break out the lead if you wanted to change bait. We were not sure if this was good or bad as at least we found that our bait stayed anchored to the bottom.
