WNC Fly Guide

Specific Northwest

2011-02-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

After a long delay and boring winter I finally decided to do something worth blogging about. That something was to cash in some SkyMiles and visit my friends in the Pacific Northwest. While there, I fished harder than I have fished in a long time and drank more than one or two beers. The fishing and carousing left little time for much else. I took few pictures on this trip, but here are some that are worth checking out.

Portland Water...............There's nothing else like it.

Portland street art or neglected Playskool farm?

Hickman modifies his landing craft.

Sandy River Salamander

Look at that profile.

1.0 shows he still has it.

The legendary Rob Russell with a hot wild fish.

Even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.

New York City!!!!!!

2010-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

You can take the boy out of the country but...........

You can't take the redneck out of the boy!!!!!!

How To Clean The Hell Out Of A FIsh

2010-11-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

Because Sometimes You Have to Innovate

New Walleye Technology!

2010-10-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Walleye Tips From WNC's Walleye Experts

Experience the XJ Series!

Stocking The Tip Pool

2010-09-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Fish mean tips. Tips mean beer. Beer means happiness.

Looks like we might be happy this fall!

This thing is wide screen so make sure you click on the video to start, then once it starts, click on it again so it sends you to you tube so you can actually watch it.

Alaska Photos Round 2- Best Color Images

2010-08-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

These are the best color photos from the past summer in Alaska. While I took many images, this post and the previous post contain the images I think that everyone can appreciate. Sorry that there is not more fish porn. I'm just not that into somebody holding a fish up for the camera just so everyone else can see how big the fish was.

Enjoy!

Arolik River Rainbow

The salt marsh at the mouth of the Arolik river looking back up towards the Aklun Mountains.

Bittman and Kunert with a second cast adult King Salmon

Mike Kunert holds up one for the box

Garrett Sullivan holds out a birthday card that could only come from the staff of Alaska West

The "gink girls" show off a little bar work

Midnight Marauder

$Money Mike$

2.0 presents Lando Cohosian

Reflections of a leopard bow

1.0's Mr. Hanky scores big with "slight modification"

Mark Fossi holds out "Walter"

My father's gag-a-dolly

Hard charging pink salmon

Spawn of the dead

Sergeant Sockeye

Another Alaskan rainbow

Sockeyes pushing a gravel bar at sunset

The most incredible sunrise of the season

Stay tuned for more fun throughout the fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alaska Photos Round 1-Best Black and Whites

2010-08-30T15:13:00.001-07:00

The long wait is over. This post is the beginning of the best images from my summer in Alaska. I started with the black and whites with the color images to follow very soon. Hope you enjoy.

The farewell handshake.

Ed Hepp being coached on fish holding techniques by Hickman 1.0

Hepp showing off his evening catch

You are never to old to rope fish on a mouse with a switch rod.

Bubble trail

Franken-king

Professor Chumley gives a posthumous yawn

Merlin Perkins presents..........

Guide.......Girlfriend/Daughter..........Father

The looks say it all

2.0 mines for gold

Elias and Drake

Elias and Drake(notice the look in the dog's eyes)

Andrew Grillos says stay tuned for color photos

Well Done in Weldon

2010-05-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

A few shots from a very quick trip to fish the Roanoke River for Stripers. If you were there and you parked over our fish and were forced to see me wearing a thong, I am not sorry. Don't worry those pictures are not included in this blog.

Life Out On "The Branch"

2010-04-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

Buckner Branch. If you know where it is then you know what it means to be livin' the life of luxury! Enjoy some shots from another day out on "The Branch"!

The Marlboro Man strikes again

The Lingcod of the South

Cory saves another walleye parentheses pike from the grease.

Legendary Perspective

The Tennessee Two

Reelfoot

2010-03-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Reelfoot Lake is an incredible natural lake in West, TN. Formed by the New Madrid Earthquake in 1812, Reelfoot is extremely shallow and very wide. Shallow is a bit of an understatement and considering the number of stumps I hit at full throttle with the lodge's boat I may be seeing a bill for the damages sometime in the near future. While the fishing wasn't gang busters I did catch one of the largest bass I have hooked in years and hanging out with my family is always a plus.

There's a reason for this sign. Fish there and you will find out why.

Gene Larew and Strike King make it happen again

A rain soaked heron making the most of our panfish leftovers.

Uncle Johnny putting another one on the stringer.

Uncle Mike with a nice bass that fell victim to a spinner bait.

The aftermath of an overly aggressive bowfin meeting up with my uncle Mike.

West Tennessee Sunset

South Holston Ho-Down

2010-03-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

Dark Rise Fishing Legion members took a mid week trip to the famed South Holston River for a few hours of this and that. The South Holston is one of the best trout streams in the south but its future is marred by didymo which is an invasive algae that reminds one of a serious head cold. Help stop the spread of didymo by washing your boots in bleach and make sure your next pair is felt free!

Beauty and the Beast
A nice brown and lots of didymo!

Johnsky getting overly excited.

Your standard bow.

Glove off handoff!

A pinkish rainbow that sure looks like a "cutbow" to me.

The "trouser trout".

Brown Midge, Brown Trout

Yes, I think it's art. Yes, you should buy this print for your home.

Quick Float

2010-02-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

There are days that are best left for activities other than fishing. The water is high, the temperature is cold, and the barometer is not in your favor. Somehow you end up not taking advantage of quality whitewater kayaking conditions and instead, end up going on an unproductive speed float down a swollen river. Insane landowners, painful lure failures, and a messy takeout are the highlights of your day. This was one of those days.

Out of the fish and into the hand

In the words of a very famous extraterrestrial..."Ouch!"

Hook Removal

More weathered hands

Landon on the sticks

Walker enjoying the crisp breeze

The "get out"

Cranking

The best part about being the photographer is that you get to watch others work

In case you ever wondered what happened to the cast of Miami Vice

Nothing Else To Do

2010-02-01T07:43:00.001-08:00

When it snows in WNC, life stops. Mountain biking sucks, its too cold to want to paddle, and the skiing remains just as lame as it would have been without the additional snowfall. Often there is nothing to do but pick up your fly rod, a generous number of Blue Ribbons and totally kill an afternoon. Throw in harsh winter light, very bored fishing guides, and unacceptably dirty camera gear and what happens next is easy to predict........

Mr. Lipke

Walker and the hump trout

Landon Copeland errr....Theo Lipke

Mmmmmm.....

Boredom!

Look everyone, Landon hooked a fish

Skoal

Woodstock filming my stupidity

Laid back

Oh yes

Low Country Low Down

2010-01-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

Because sometimes you just have to get out of town and do something different!

The Depths of Winter

2010-01-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since the last time the old blog was updated, but then again, there hasn't been a ton to blog about. Now that winter is here and the touristas have gone, it is time to fish. Here is a glimpse of our wintry fishing world in Black and White.

Walker Parrot presents the "snow drift"

32˚F

Cold Hands Make for a Slow Tie

Another Davidson River Trophy!

Studio Bass

2009-09-10T04:33:00.001-07:00

A recent rip to the Chattooga produced some nice Red Eye Coosa Bass. These two had a want to be in the fashion industry so we did some studio style shots for their portfolio.

Big Rocks, Rocks!

2009-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Big Rocks, located on the Nolichucky River in East Tennessee, is an incredible play feature and only 45 minutes from home. Here are a few frames from a late afternoon freestyle session with local legend Mefford Williams. I broke my paddle early on, so I shot photos while Meff threw down and showed those of us with 2/3rds of a paddle what's up.

Virginia

2009-08-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

Fishing for Smallmouth Bass on the New River in Virginia is pretty out of site. Walker Parrott, J.P. Cosse and I recently took a little road trip to partake in some "Commonwealth" bronze back fishing, some local flavor, and a couple of cool ones.

Walker @ his happiest!

Mating Damsels.

J.P. and the Brown Bass.

J.P. and Walker discussing the merits of blue mountains.

Glimpses of a wet spring

2009-05-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago it rained. It rained a lot. It rained so much I paddled nine days in a row. I rarely take pictures when paddling but a couple of days I actually lugged a camera around with me. Enjoy!Mmmmm! Pork Plasma sho' does make for good salad dressing.

A little furry friend.

Mefford Williams getting his boof on in Action Alley.

Shuttle bunny shot of myself and Yonton Mehler on the West Prong at a more than fluffy flow of 1.55"

Candygram!