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Fly Fishing Montana Report, Part 1

September 16, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Fly Fishing Montana Report, Part 1 and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this Fly Fishing Montana Report. Oh yes, we finally did some fly fishing.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Alex flew into Bozeman on the 9th, Susan flew out on the 10th. The crew now consisted of Alex, Maxx, Catalina, and me. Time to fish. We went to our campsite on the Gallatin River, set up camp, and started flailing in the river. Without success, I might add. The river was too shallow and rocky where we were. Alex missed the one strike he got.

Next day we went up the river, almost to the park entrance. It was cold. While my companions fished, I sat in the car. They came back chilled and frustrated. No fish. We moved to another spot. Now it was raining, too. Catalina joined me in staying in the car, but Maxx got a cutbow that took his big, ugly sculpin streamer. First shot fired.

Even though it was still raining the following morning, we went fishing at a different spot. A deep pool, followed by a rapid and another deep pool, allowed us to spread out some. Maxx took the top of our pool, I took the middle down. We both fished with streamers. I got bit the first cast, and connected on the second with a brownie about a foot long- my first fish of the trip. Maxx got a ‘bow a short time later.

 

The bites stopped, but fish started rising. The smallest mayflies I’d ever seen were coming down the river between showers, loads of them. I tied on a #18 blue-winged olive (Jim Tedesco’s version) which did not match the hatch, started floating it over some risers and got bit almost immediately. It was a feisty rainbow, 13-14 inches. I got two more and missed several strikes before the action stopped. Alex had also done pretty well.

Alex had arranged a guided float trip on the Madison for our next outing. We got up at 6 and drove an hour and a half to Ennis where we met our guides, Justin Edge and Kelly McAllister. It was a brisk 45 degrees with plenty of wind, but no rain. The surrounding mountains had a dusting of new snow.

Kelly’s nails- impeccable.

Bundled up like Eskimos, we got in the boats and started drifting. We were not alone. At least two dozen other boats were floating. Using various techniques including dry flies, streamers, and tight-lining nymphs, we did not touch a fish all morning, and only saw one hookup from all the other vessels. Brutal.

Kelly launching her boat into the Madison River.

 

Alex and Justin getting ready to start fishing.

 

Catalina, Kelly, and Maxx float past us.

After lunch our luck started to change. Alex got a couple dinks on the nymph end of a dry-dropper rig, then got a decent rainbow. I got one on a Chubby Chernobyl dry. Then Alex said, “I’ve got a real one.” While he was playing his fish, a large fish came up and took my fly. I said, “I have a realer one.” Then my fish jumped, and we almost forgot about Alex’s (which turned out to a 16-inch whatever).

The water in the Madison wastes no time trying to get to the ocean. The current is fast. Justin couldn’t effectively slow the boat while in mid-stream- he had to row it to the bank to get anchored. But he did that, me all the while playing the fish, Justin all the while telling me not to lose it. He got it netted and measured. It was 25 inches long, and fat. He said it was the biggest fish in his boat this season. I did not touch the beast, or get a photo of it that I was happy with, although Alex was able to. Then the fish was back in the water, and away it swam.

My fishy, held by Justin.

A while later, Alex had the biggest brown trout he’d ever gotten take the nymph on his rig, a lovely fish of almost four pounds. We got other fish before pulling the boat, but after those two big ones, who cared?

Fish on!

 

Alex’s brown.

Maxx and Catalina (for whom this was all a very new experience) got a half-dozen or so fish too, although none were particularly large. All in all a good day, though!

Not particularly large!

Maxx and Catalina left after the float trip, heading back to California. It would be just Alex and I the next couple of days.

We again fished the Gallatin the next day. It was slow. I got four rises on a BWO, missed all four, and ended up blanked. Alex got a couple small ones, then the fish of the day, a beautiful brown fooled by a Copper John fished under a Chubby Chernobyl.

 

 

Alex with another fine brown trout.

We ended his fishing trip with an excursion to the Ruby River, a small stream about an hour’s drive from Ennis. I fished a BWO, a foam caddis #14, and a Purple Haze dry, also #14, and caught fish on all of them. Small stream, small fish. I hooked one good one, got one run out of it before the hook pulled. Alex had similar results. We were pretty content as we headed back to Bozeman.

Alex’s plane just left, taking him back to California. I’ve got some errands to run around town today, then I head east, hopefully fly fishing a few more days before leaving Montana.

That’s my Fly Fishing Montana Report, Part 1. Thanks for reading it! I hope it was worth the wait!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

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From Craters to Yellowstone Report

September 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

From Craters to Yellowstone Report and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this From Craters to Yellowstone Report. From lava and volcanoes to geysers and hot springs- it’s all related. No, I still have not fished. The next report will have fly fishing, from Montana, for trout, the kind of fishing I am least good at.

Note to Readers- This post is a week old. This is the first chance I’ve had to post it. Will get the fishing one up as soon as I can (but it’s not written yet).

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Before leaving Craters of the Moon, we went back to the lava tubes. This time I carried my dSLR. I thought it was worth it.

Inside a partially collapsed lava tube.

 

The hole in the roof, where the partial collapse happened.

 

Still in the tube!

On the way to Yellowstone National Park, we stopped at the site of the world’s first nuclear reactor, which is now a free museum. It seems this one was cooled by liquid sodium and potassium. The plants at Three Mile Island, Chernoble, and Fukishama were all water-cooled. Coincidence, or cost-cutting?

The EBR-1, world’s first nuclear reactor.

In the park we camped at Grant Landing. The only animals that visited our site were chipmunks, squirrels, ravens, and Clark’s nuthatches. But a sixty-second walk one evening brought us to a site having a visit by a few elk.

We saw some geysers, led of course by Old Faithful.

 

This geyser, not so faithful.

We saw some hot springs. Grand Prismatic is the grand daddy.

Grand Prismatic Spring.

 

These women asked me to take their picture, so I did.

 

Me and my squeeze.

 

That “other spring.”

 

And another spring.

 

All those springs flow into the Firehole River.

 

We made a side trip the Grand Teton National Park.

 

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

 

Another hot spring!

 

Susan’s maiden name is Surprise. They named this spring after her!!

 

We saw some bison, LOTS of them.

 

Bison in the Mist, Lamar Valley.

We saw some fly fishermen, all while driving by. Hope some had success. The rivers are breathtaking.

After seeing the bison at Lamar Valley, we went to the Roosevelt Arch. The town of Gardiner is right there. Someone had the idea we look for elk brats. Even I, who have had one small piece of beef since 1976 (quasi-vegetarian, I am), thought this was a good idea. Caught up in the moment, I guess.

We ended up at a place with both elk and bison burgers, and split one of each one way. I wasn’t impressed, but my three traveling companions thought they were yummy.

An hour later, at Mammoth Spring, I suddenly felt awful, with weird pains in my chest. Two miles from the clinic, off we went. As soon as I walked in I vomited four times. Next thing, I have an IV, and EKG, a chest X-ray, and am being drugged with Benadryl. I asked my family to photograph me, but they were in such shock and so concerned that not one of them did it, so no photos. My EKG was fine- it was a severe case of indigestion. They released me into Maxx’s care, for only $700. Expensive damn burger!

I was fine the next day. We went to more springs, and mud pots, and similar stuff. There are over 300 geothermal features in Yellowstone. I’d guess we hit close to a third of them.

Mammoth Spring, the day after my incident.

 

Still Mammoth Spring. It’s mammoth!

That’s the From Craters to Yellowstone report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

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A Dash to the Craters Report

August 30, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

A Dash to the Craters Report and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this A Dash to the Craters Report. Spent some time behind the wheel this week, and certainly got a change of weather.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

I wrapped up last week’s blog with this- “…planning in visiting Deception Pass State Park, and some art galleries tomorrow, hoping it does not rain.” Oh, but it did rain. Fifty-six windy, raining degrees meant our Deception Pass State Park visit was completely washed out. We headed to Everett, Washington, where we spent a night in a rain-free La Quinta. Got showers, washed clothes, bought groceries, and got ready for the next phase of the trip.

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

Heading east, we found ourselves at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.  Utterly amazing, looking history right in the face. The trail ran from Missouri to Oregon, and there are historical landmarks all along the route. Learn more about the Trail here… 

At a trail marker. The pioneers didn’t have these.

We spent that night at Lake Owyhee State Park. Did I know the Owyhee River was a blue-ribbon trout stream? I did not. Because I was with Susan, and still in the travel mode, I did not fish it, which nearly killed me. Not the first, or last, time that happened on this trip. The fishing is coming, though.

 

The lake, formed by damming the river. A common theme throughout the west.

 

Sunset over the lake.

 

A wall of Owyhee Canyon.

 

Driving the road here was an adventure!

Our dash finished at Craters of the Moon National Monument. After three days here, we now know more about volcanoes and lava than I ever thought we would. It’s been great! And we’re here two more nights! Maxx and Catalina are meeting us here tomorrow, and they want to see the place, too. And now we know the best places to show them. Then, we’re off again, heading further east- stay tuned!


 

A trail through the enormous lava beds. Can you see the two people?

 

Pahoehoe lava has a ropy texture.

 

A large limber pine on top of the Inferno Cone, made up entirely of cinders.

 

Sunset through another limber pine.

 

We got the permit, and went to the caves.

 

We liked Indian Tunnel the best.

 

Sure feels like a cave!

 

This “tunnel” or “cave” is actually a lave tube that formed during the last volcanic eruption here, about 2000 years ago. Part of its roof has collapsed here.

 

Here I’m looking down into the vent of a cinder cone. It plugged with cooling magma when the eruption stopped.

 

More pahoehoe lava, showing the extensive beds.

 

On a trail through the lava flows.

 

Some rabbitbrush, and a cinder cone.

 

Arco, 18 miles away, is the nearest town.

 

Sunset, through the smoke of a forest fire, from our campsite.

Next stop- Yellowstone!

That’s the Dash to the Craters report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

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The Olympics! Report

August 24, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

The Olympics! Report and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this the Olympics! report. No, I haven’t been to Paris. Olympic National Park has been heavenly! Especially if you like big trees, and rain!

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

We camped at Twin Harbors State Park to start the week. Last week I wrote, “… with fresh Dungeness crabs on tonight’s menu.” We paired the crabs (one each) with freshly picked corn on the cob. Arguably our best meal of the trip. It’s so good, as son Maxx would say.

The bubble lady at the art show, an artist in her own right.

We also went to the art festival in Westport– our stay there coincided with it. We’ve been to some great art shows, and unfortunately this wasn’t one of them. We both thought the best work was by Patricia Jollimore, and it truly was world class. She could exhibit anywhere, with anybody. Just great. I also got a new sticker for the van- “Out of Breath Hikers Society.”

The sun was still pretty high.

 

It wasn’t a pretty evening.

 

This child enjoyed riding through the surf.

 

And then the sun showed again! A twofer!

From Westport we drive to Kalaloch, on the Olympic peninsula. We had two nights at a national park service campsite there. Of course it was raining, somethings the locals assured us that was unusual in August. I’m writing this on the 23rd of August, five days later, not even on the peninsula any more, and it’s still raining. Sheesh.

At any rate, the rain stopped for a while in the afternoon, and the sun poked through the clouds enough to allow some sunset pictures on the beach. See above.

In the morning, at low tide, we visited some tidepools. Incredibly packed with all kinds of amazing critters, I could only get photos of a few of the larger ones.

Sea anemones.

 

Sea star.

 

A slug (banana, maybe?), not in the tide pool.

 

Susan, defying death.

We then visited the Quinault rain forest, where it was, of course, raining. The plants that grow there seem to love it. We visited the world record Sitka spruce tree, with a circumference of 84 feet. We also visited some waterfalls. The forests here are beyond enchanting. I would have loved to backpack through here. No chance of that now.

A big, fuzzy tree.

 

Our van, in the same neighborhood.

 

The Quinault River, home to salmon and steelhead.

 

A small falls.

 

Meridian Falls.

However, a two-mile round-trip hike brought us to Sol-Duc Falls. This falls stops the upstream run of coho salmon that enter the river every year. They negotiate another, smaller falls (the Salmon Cascades) further downstream, but they are not climbing this one, oh no.

At the Salmon Cascade on the Sol-Duc River.

 

Asters by the river.

 

Bunchberries along the trail.

 

The Sol-Duc River. At least a little part of it.

 

Sol-Duc Falls.

A drive out of Port Angeles brought us to Hurricane Ridge, where we took a short hike on a one-mile loop. The temperature was in the 40s. with winds and fog, very invigorating. It’s said that when it’s clear, you can see Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain on the peninsula, from here. We could not see it, however.

A view from Hurricane Ridge.

 

A lone hiker on the ridge.

 

We stopped at a native art gallery in the town of Sequim. I so love the power of the Northwest Indian’s art!

 

Which brings us to Oak Harbor, where we sit in the van, in the rain, planning in visiting Deception Pass State Park, and some art galleries tomorrow, hoping it does not rain. Then we’re wrapping up out stay on the Pacific coast and heading east, looking for more adventures.

One of two bridges over Deception Pass.

That’s the The Olympics! report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a hike! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

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Touring the Northwest Report

August 16, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Touring the Northwest Report and Photo Essay

On the Oregon Coast.

Thank you for reading this Touring the Northwest report. It’s been divine!

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Impressions from a couple of weeks of traveling on the Pacific coast highways, CA 1 and US 101. California 1 is petrifying in places. It’s often a narrow, twisty road with some sheer drops of nearly 1000 feet to rocks and the Pacific below. Semi-trucks and too-large RVs use it, as do motorists in a big hurry and (completely fearless) bicyclists, usually with panniers filled with camping gear. The cyclists may have my respect for what they are accomplishing physically, but with all that vehicle traffic I think they are out of their minds.

At the beach, Oregon Dunes. Fog!

US 101 in Oregon is a little tamer. The views from both roads are equally fantastic, though. Both roads also have pull-offs for slower vehicles, to let the speeders by. I made much use of them!

On US 101 in Oregon. I’ve forgotten the name of this famous lighthouse.

Fog was our travel companion on both roads, as the pictures show. We saw a single sunset while there.

Susan clowns around while we wait for sunset.

 

Gulls at Humbug Mountain State Park. They’re enjoying the sun, too.

 

Getting close!

 

And down it goes!

 

Enjoying a foggy beach day, Oregon coast.

 

A view from a US 101 turnout, Oregon.

I write this from near Mt. St. Helens. We tried without success to find a good back way to the mountain- every avenue turned into a dead end and turn-around. We did get to see the mountain, but she had her head in the clouds…

Our best view of Mt. St. Helens.

 

Ironically, we could see Mt. Rainier in the distance!

The next day we went to the closest point one can currently drive to Mt. St. Helens. There is another, closer lookout, but the road was taken out by a landslide. The mountaintop was still in clouds, but we could see Mt. Rainier! Which was our next stop, anyway.

They call Washington the Evergreen State.

 

We stopped in a small town on the way the Mt. Rainier. This seems to be the telephone system.

Our first day at Rainier was very foggy and wet. We visited waterfalls. The next day the fog cleared, the sun came out, and we had glorious views of the peak. We took a few hikes around Paradise, which is aptly named. I imagine it’s less paradisiacal in winter, though.

Another photographer at Narada Falls.

 

The top portion of the falls.

 

A view of the glacially-carved Nisqually River valley. The river comes off the Nisqually Glacier.

 

Christine Falls.

 

Susan in Paradise.

 

Mt. Rainier, with the fog lifting.

 

We got this!

 

And this! An alpine meadow…

 

…full of amazing wildflowers.

After two days at Rainier, we went back the coast- Westport, Washington, specifically. We’re here enjoying the beach and a down-to-earth fishing town, with fresh Dungeness crabs on tonight’s menu.

The Marina at Westport. There are a few fishing vessels.

 

Me and Susan. I’ve lost some weight.

 

Tried (without success) to get a sunset- got this in the dunes there.

 

Did get something of a moonrise, though.

From here it’s up to the Olympic peninsula for several days, a place I’ve always wanted to visit. Stay tuned!

That’s the Touring the Northwest report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a bike ride! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

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Still Alive and On the Road Report

August 9, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Still Alive and On the Road Report and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this still alive and on the road report. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to post, so here are the highlights.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Smoke from the Park Fire, near Chico.

After leaving Maxx and Catalina, we drove to Red Bluff to visit with our daughter-in-law, Allison. Unfortunately we brought some head crud we caught from some of those kids at the previous stop, and spent several days lying around trying to get rid of it. Plus, the temperature in Red Bluff was over 100 every day, so while we went walking at sunset, it’s not like we wanted to get out and have fun in the sun. I did get my oil changed.

A CalFire chopper, getting water to fight said fire.

 

Sunset at Red Bluff.

 

Our walking path.

 

This grass grows everywhere. It’s a mystery why there aren’t more fires.

We left Red Bluff and visited Salt Point State Park, a favorite of mine from our last trip to California. We were in fog much of the time we were there- I was unable to get the sunset pictures I had fantasized about. But it was chilly, finally, the reason we left Florida in the first place.

Waves at Salt Point.

 

The sun sets into a fog bank off Salt Point.

We left Salt Point and drove to Boise Creek campground, a USFS facility. What it lacked in amenities (it did have water and pit toilets) it made up for with highway noise, being just off CA 299. Maxx joined us here, and is still accompanying us. We found some blackberry bushes for some delicious snacking, and watched folks swimming in the Trinity River, one of Alex’s preferred fishing spots.

On the Damnation Creek trail.

 

Burl with ferns on a large redwood tree.

 

The fog made the scene magical.

 

Small trees, fuzzy with moss, along the trail.

When finished there, we returned to the coast. Our next stop was Del Norte Redwoods State Park, where we camped at the Mill Creek campground. We took one of the most magical walks of any year on the Damnation Creek trail. Tendrils of fog weaved there way through giant coastal redwoods, beyond enchanting.

Mill Creek, near our campsite.

 

An ent, right next to our campsite. Fortunately it stayed asleep the entire time we were there.

A drive down Howland Road followed, with stops for walks through the Grove of the Titans and Stout Grove. We as a race are SO lucky that loggers did not cut down every single big tree like they did in the East.

Opening fiddlehead on the walk to the Grove of the Titans.

 

Banana slug, also on the same walk.

 

More modest redwoods, on the same walk.

 

This tree was sequoia-like, just massive.

 

Twin redwoods in the Stout Grove.

A night at Humbug Mountain State Park followed, with more berry picking and a beach sunset.

Susan clowns around while we wait for sunset.

 

Gulls at Humbug Park.

 

Getting close!

 

And down it goes!

Currently we’re at the Eel Creek campground in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, pondering our next move.

That’s the still alive and on the road report. I’ll get the next one out as soon as I can! Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a bike ride! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

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Ode to Mike Conneen- a Photo Essay

June 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

An Ode to Mike Conneen Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this ode to Mike Conneen, something a little different than my usual blog. I did not fish again this week, and thought of doing this photo essay about an amazing human being.

Mike and I got to know each other while paddling on the 2013 Indian River Lagoon Paddle Adventure. We have taken a paddle trip every year since, in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Mike added River the Dog to the equation a few years ago, which changed the dynamic some, but overall was an awesome thing. River is just as amazing as Mike is. Mike’s been an incredible fishing and travel partner, from who I have learned tons. I consider it an honor to be his friend.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Dawn at Jensen Beach, 2013 IRL Paddle Adventure.

 

The final crew at the 2013 IRL Paddle Adventure- Mike, Rodney Smith, Nick Colantonio, Mim Duncan, Bones Benton, John Kumiski.

 

Mike and snook, Peace River.

 

Among the crocodiles, Everglades National Park.

 

At Cockroach Bay, near Tampa.

 

On the Gulf of Mexico, Big Bend Paddling Trail.

 

Filming rampaging jacks, Manatee River.

 

Little Manatee River.

 

In the marsh near Venice, Louisiana.

 

On the Myakka River.

 

On the Suwannee River.

 

At Fellsmere Water Management Area.

 

Salt marsh along the Big Bend Paddling Trail.

 

On Rock Springs Run.

 

River and Mike, Jewell Key, Everglades National Park.

 

River and Mike, Everglades National Park.

 

A contrast in techniques, Manatee River.

 

Near Venice, Louisiana.

 

In Everglades National Park.

 

Mike’s first fish with fly tackle was this snook. Everglades National Park.

 

Loading up, 2013 IRL Paddle Adventure.

 

Paddling into the wind, Big Bend Paddling Trail.

 

On the Peace River.

 

At St. George Island.

 

Me, Mike, and River, Jewell Key, Everglades National Park.

 

Near Venice, Louisiana.

 

On the Peace River.

 

Near Venice, Louisiana.

 

In St. George Sound.

 

Shark Point chickee, Everglades National Park.

 

On Hillsborough River.

 

Outer Banks, North Carolina.

 

Bodie Island Light, Outer Banks.

 

Wright Brothers Memorial, Kitty Hawk.

 

Atop Bodie Island Light.

 

He got this rat red from his kayak, while it was on the trailer, from the western side of Pamlico Sound.

That’s the ode to Mike Conneen. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go for a bike ride! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, © John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

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Four Days in Paradise Fishing Report and Photo Essay

May 3, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

Four Days in Paradise Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Four Days in Paradise Fishing Report. The weather this week has been incredible. I fished three days, and went to the wetlands park one. Thus the title.

-Public Service Announcement-

May 12 is Mother’s Day. That’s a week away! Go to the store right now and take care of your domestic needs!

May Day passed a few days back. Time to dust off this baby, even though I probably won’t be fishing for the big boys-

an ideal world
hot sun, blue sky, clear, slick water
sweat
a graphite wand, a sliver of steel, a wisp of feathers

a flash of silver breaks the mirror
then another, and another
feathers land in water
magically, they come to life

line tightens
mirror smashed
power
water flies, gills flare, body shakes, shudders
again, and again, and again

the beast tires
arms ache
hand grasps jaw
feathers removed
great fish swims free once more

tarpon
one of God’s gifts to fly fishers

————————————————-

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

————————————————-

An Econ update– here’s how the authorities responded to my reporting the green water:

I guess there’s not much to be done except wait for it to run its course. Or, with much more difficulty, find the source of the nutrients that feed the algae, and stop them from reaching the river.

Sunday

the camera and I went for a short-ish walk, a mile or a little more, at the wetlands park. Dragonflies, sandhill cranes, alligators, and more. Always a good time! When it started to get hot, I bailed out.

Needham’s skimmer, female.

 

Halloween Pennant, male.

 

Four-spotted pennant, male.

 

The adult, preening!

 

The youngster, preening!

 

The photographer, not preening!

 

Four-spotted pennant, female.

 

This beast was lying right at the edge of the path.

 

The bullfrog was much less intimidating.

 

Eastern pondhawk, male.

Monday

I fished the Econ, upstream of the Little Econ. I took some pictures with my point-and-shoot and they were all blurry, so this is a representative file shot-

The water is low and the fish fairly bitey. Even though fly fishing is impossible there for someone at my skill level, I’m looking forward to going back.

Wednesday

found me doing something I had not done in a while, which was to launch the kayak at River Breeze. Most of the fishing was fair at best. I found a few tailing redfish and even with an unweighted fly, managed to spook all of them. Got a couple decent trout blind-casting the plastic shad.

I looked in some little nooks that I’d never really looked in before (there are so many of them around there), and found some relaxed fish there. How relaxed? The first one I got required a cast of about five feet- it trashed the shad. The second bite, which I somehow missed, came with the leader (at most three feet long) in the tip of the spinning rod. The fish was almost directly underneath me when it took the shad. Even though the fish swam off unharmed, it was amazingly cool to watch. That was it for the day, fish-wise. Probably paddled ten miles.

Thursday

found me paddling on Mosquito Lagoon. Fly fishing exclusively, i dun gud! Let the photos tell the tail-

First fish, a tailer.

 

Hooked up.

 

This one was cruising the bank.

 

 

And I do mean “cruising the bank.”

That’s the four days in paradise fishing report. Thanks again for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go walking! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, ©John Kumiski 2024. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida fishing report, Fishing Reports, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , ,

Back from Safari

December 9, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

Back from Safari- A Photo Essay

I’m back from my safari to the most accessible wilderness in the eastern United States. On November 26 the chariot, filled with camping gear, supplies, fishing tackle, and topped with a kayak, took me to Flamingo, in Everglades National Park. I can’t give all the details of the next ten days, but if it wasn’t for biting insects it was well nigh perfect.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

Rather than try to write a narrative, I’ll caption the photos.

On the way to Flamingo.

 

Also on the way to Flamingo.

 

My favorite greeting in Flamingo was from an American crocodile.

 

Nice tree near the visitors center.

 

The white ibis was less threatening looking than the croc!

 

I got nothing in a day’s fishing on the outside, so headed into the back country.

 

My first fish of consequence. It crushed a gurgler.

 

There were other fish back there, too.

 

 

 

This one took a bendback.

 

Ready to go at Nine Mile Pond. I also paddled the Noble Hammock trail. Never had been on either.

 

Moved to Long Pine Key. Many fewer biting bugs.

 

There was once a missile base inside the park.

 

Near the missile base was a great place to watch the sun set.

 

Moved to Monument Lake campground, in the Big Cypress.

 

Went for a 24-mile ride (in the van) on this loop road.

 

More dwarf cypress!

 

Spiders!

 

Great egrets!

 

Alligators!

 

Butterflies!

 

Tree snails!

 

Epiphytic ferns!

 

But, don’t run out of gas back there.

 

Treated myself at Joanie’s. Also stopped at Clyde Butcher’s Gallery– HIGHLY recommended!

 

My next move was to load up the kayak with gear and supplies at the Gulf Coast Ranger Station in Everglades City, and head out to the Gulf Islands.

 

The fish of the trip took a Clouser Minnow.

 

I met Mike Conneen and Matt Giles on Picnic Key.

 

Matt slings some fly line.

 

He got excited about this trout.

 

We’re all together on the Gulf.

 

Matt, hooked up to a bull shark.

 

White pelicans soaring.

 

I stopped for some photos.

 

 

 

I found this mollusk in my kayak!

 

Dawn on Picnic Key.

 

What my van looked like when I got home.

 

That’s the Back from Safari Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go on a trip! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , ,

No Fishing Report, Fishing Photo Essay

November 16, 2023 by · 2 Comments

No Fishing Report, Fishing Photo Essay

Thanks for reading my No Fishing Report. There was no fishing this week. The weather all week was terrible, and I’ve been simultaneously trying to move my website and fight a respiratory infection. Since I have thousands of images of fishing, we’re going for a walk down memory lane with a few of my favorites.

Subscribers without photos- go to https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/, please.

First, my website saga. I found a new host. Moving the website has been an ongoing problem, but I hope to finish it by the time you read this. I guess we’ll see come November 25!

These photos share some of the reasons I’m compelled to fish. The fish bring me to beautiful, wild places! Fish are beautiful, wild beings! Truth is, I often feel sorry for the fish, even while I try to catch them. But nothing brings me “into the moment” more than stalking a fish. I love the fishes and the places they live.

Tammy Wilson slings a line, Okonoluftee River, NC.

 

Hillsborough River, Florida.

 

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.\

 

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.

 

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.

 

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

 

Canaveral National Seashore, Florida.

 

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.

 

My favorite bass flies.

 

Drop shot with Allison and Alex, Goodness River, Alaska. The fish was an Arctic grayling.

 

Maxx battles a mahi with a three-weight, off the Florida Keys.

 

Waiting for the storm, Everglades National Park.

 

A nice snook does a flyby near our canoe, Everglades National Park.

 

Big man, big fish, big water, little boat. Off Cocoa Beach.

 

On Cape Sable, Everglades National Park.

 

Near Port Canaveral.

 

Maxx, Matt Van Pelt, and Alex, Everglades National Park.

 

Any time can be nap time. Goodnews River, Alaska.

 

Mike Conneen, Shark Point chickee, Everglades National Park.

 

Tyler Williams with a double, Goodnews River.

 

Crappie fishing, Lake Monroe, Florida.

 

Boating a halibut, near Whale Pass, Alaska.

 

My smallest tarpon ever, Everglades National Park.

 

Tammy takes Barbie fishing, Mosquito Lagoon, Florida.

 

During a kid’s fishing outing at Lake Ashby, this girl caught this killifish. She was real happy about it!

 

Slinging line at sunset, St. George Island, Florida.

 

River Dog, Everglades National Park.

 

Campsite on Tiger Key, Everglades National Park.

 

Little tunny causing a fracas off Port Canaveral.

 

American crocodiles, Everglades National Park.

 

Battling silver, Goodnews River.

 

Battling silver, Goodnews River.

 

Me, circa 1955? 56? My dad made the image.

 

Shuttle launch from the Indian River Lagoon.

 

Halloween Pennant, Everglades National Park.

 

Willie’s log, Goodnews River. He used a bunny leech, and 10-pound tippet, on an eight-weight.

 

Exploring the backcountry, Everglades National Park.

 

Maxx battles a tarpon, his first on fly, off LaCosta Island, Florida.

 

That’s the No Fishing Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Go on a trip! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2023. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , ,
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