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Trying to Get Back to Normal

September 10, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

Trying to Get Back to Normal

Thank you for reading this week’s post, Trying to Get Back to Normal. Whatever normal means!

I post this on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in which almost 3000 people were killed, triggering nearly unanimous and well-deserved outrage from the American people.

Over 600,000 Americans have died as a result of COVID, and we still have cretins not wearing masks or getting vaccinated. I don’t understand it…
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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Traveling Epilogue, by the numbers

On our trip around the USA, which lasted 153 days (give or take one or two), Susan and I traveled a total of 15,783 miles in our Sienna van. The van used 702.5 gallons of gasoline to do that, which cost me $2271.91. The fuel economy for the entire trip came out to 22.5 miles per gallon. The miles per dollar amount was just under seven miles per dollar.

We used roads in 29 different states. Additionally, I flew to Alaska.

We did not count how many state and national parks we visited. It was quite a few!

The trip, a huge learning experience for both of us, was an epic adventure from any standpoint! We hope to do more trips in the future, so stay tuned…

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Responses to the Rant

Last week’s post generated the biggest response of any post I’ve made over 11 years. Need I say, not all were positive? I had numerous unsubscribes. Seeee ya!

Positive responses, on the other hand, were more numerous than the negatives. I would like to thank first all of you who did not unsubscribe, and then especially those of you who wrote comments of encouragement. Thank you!

Some of those comments-

“Your rant is very much on target. Kudos to you for speaking up on your website. The selfishness and stupidity out there is incredible. And the fact that people in high political office are promoting this is unforgivable. I had to let you know you are not alone in your beliefs.”

“Amen, amen. Keep on ranting—sadly, though, it seems to change the minds of fewer than 5% of my Alaskan friends. Some of the worst are the ‘personal liberty’ proponents who don’t seem to realize that they give up personal liberty for the common good ten times a day when they stop at a traffic light.”

“I agree with all you said in your rant. Having troubles these days praising Florida as my home state.”

“Appreciate the rant. I’m pretty sure my politics are to the right of yours (I’m a hopeless conservative.) But I am stumped by the stubborn, callous leadership of a governor who is charged with helping the people of his state flourish and by the decisions (and information sources) of some of my friends for whom I have great respect. Vaccines and social mitigation techniques have proven effective. Full ICU capacity populated by unvaccinated patients should be enough motivation for all. We’ve lost our minds.”

“The ‘we’re free to do whatever the hell we want’ argument is also flawed. No one has the right to walk around with a gun pulling the trigger while they point it at people all around them, thinking it’s unloaded. Essentially that’s what they’re doing if they’re unvaccinated. COVID can be lethal and the unvaccinated are playing Russian roulette with other people’s lives.”

“that was one of the best stated cases for being vaccinated that I have seen, well done and I pray it hits home with some of your friends and followers.”

“I also enjoyed the rant. All I can say is ‘Amen’. I live in Lake County and I think we are regressing instead of progressing. I have two grandchildren in public school and a great granddaughter in preschool. I want them safe and a mask is such a simple thing to wear.”

I’ll let it go now. Hopefully all my readers and their loved ones will stay COVID-free.

FISHING-

Labor Day weekend- I never fish, or even venture outside much. I hibernate until the craziness is done, then cautiously venture back out again.

Dawn Patrol

Tuesday– Mike Conneen and I had a dawn patrol trip (it’s still summer in Florida) on the Banana River Lagoon. Mike did OK with the spin rod, tossing his favorite lure, the Vudu shrimp. Trout, snook, and a redfish fell to the bait. He mostly cast around schools of rain minnows.

I mostly watched him, catching only two small trout and one smaller ladyfish on a redfish worm fly until Divine Intervention happened in the form of a pair of tailing reds. The cast was true, the fish responded like one hopes, and a short time later I released a fish near the top of the slot. Made my day.

Mike and River the Wonder Dog

It still gets real hot here under that sun come midday.

Wednesday– went to the beach on a dawn patrol trip, hoping for some action. I got it too- in the form of big rollers. Apparently there was a hurricane off the coast. The surfers were having a field day. It’s a fantastic time of day to be on the beach!

I, however, only hooked and lost three small bluefish on a jig. After an hour and a half of fighting waves fruitlessly, I went to the Indian River Lagoon, where Divine Intervention happened again, in the form of a tailing redfish. Again the redfish worm did the job, and I got a photo of this one.

A colorful redfish on a drab black fly.

Thursday‘s weather forecast kept me home, and Friday was an errands and maintenance day. Hope to do more fishing next week!

That’s the report for this week. Thank you again for reading the post, Trying to Get Back to Normal. Life is great and I love all my readers!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

A Rant from John

September 4, 2021 by · 2 Comments

A Rant from John

Thank you for reading this week’s post, A Rant from John. I hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day weekend!
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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Bumper Sticker of the Week-

Seems to be a popular opinion in Florida lately!

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Traveling

As you may remember, we were at Flat Rock, NC visiting the Tedescos.

Part of Triple Falls.

Sunday we went to Du Pont State Park and took a short hike along a waterfall.

Potential Darwin Award winner?

Sunday a hurricane slammed Louisiana. Pray for those folks, or better yet make a donation to the Red Cross. Fearing the storm might impact North Carolina, Susan and I hit the road Monday morning and pulled into our driveway at about 5 PM. Home again, after five months on the road!

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The first post under the Spotted Tail masthead was on November 6, 2010. I have continually posted, usually weekly, since then. In all that time I have studiously avoided discussing politics, religion, and social issues, feeling that there are plenty of venues out there that cover those subjects, probably better than I can.

Forgive me, but this week I need to vent!

The Rant

A friend had texted and asked me to call when I got home. Five miles from the Florida state line, I called. He proceeded to tell me that he had gotten COVID from his vaccinated girlfriend. He, however, was not vaccinated, nor does he wear masks. His “research,” no doubt conducted on misinformation websites, made him think neither was of much use.

His girlfriend is a teacher, and contracted the disease at school. Thanks, Governor! See bumper sticker above.

The MASK– Let’s be clear, I don’t like wearing a mask. It’s hot, it muffles my already bad enunciation, and it fogs up my glasses. But I wear one indoors because it protects me (to an extent), and more importantly, it protects other people from anything I might otherwise be spreading.

Don’t surgical teams wear masks??? Why? Because masks look cool, or to stop the spread of microbes??

Wearing a mask is civically responsible. It’s patriotic!

If you don’t like wearing a mask, think of all the fun you’ll have with that respirator!

To my misinformed friend, not wearing a mask is selfish and irresponsible. It’s a pandemic! Over half a million Americans are dead! Put your mask on!

The VACCINE– I was born in 1952. I received vaccines for polio, smallpox, and rubella (at least) in elementary school. All my classmates did, too- they gave it to us at school!

I received God-only-knows what vaccines when I was drafted into the army. I still get a tetanus booster every ten years.

Is it a coincidence that neither I, nor any of my contemporaries of my acquaintance, developed polio, smallpox, rubella, or tetanus? I THINK NOT!!!

My mom, born well before Salk developed the polio vaccine, contracted polio. So did her cousin, at about the same time. Mom mostly recovered from it. The cousin was in a wheelchair for life. Lots of people died from polio.

At its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, polio would paralyze or kill over half a million people worldwide every year. According to https://polioeradication.org/polio-today/history-of-polio/, “In 1988, when the GPEI started, polio paralysed more than 1000 children worldwide every day.” Read the Wikipedia entry at this link- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_polio.

Rare individuals are allergic to the vaccine, and get ill or die from it. But the risk of getting sick from not getting the vaccine is much greater than the risk of getting the vaccine.

The parents who don’t want their kids vaccinated probably think nothing of putting them in an automobile though, the riskiest activity we routinely undertake. Wikipedia says, “In 2010, there were an estimated 5,419,000 crashes, 30,296 deadly, killing 32,999, and injuring 2,239,000. About 2,000 children under 16 die every year in traffic collisions.” These are American statistics.

And parents don’t vaccinate their kids because it’s risky???

Some stupid anti-vax arguments-

“I don’t trust the government.” Nor do I. What does the government have to do with you keeping yourself from getting sick?

“There are microchips in the vaccine so the government can track us.” This is plain stupid. You probably have a cell phone. You pay handsomely every month for the privilege of allowing the government to track you. Hello??

My own experience with vaccines makes me think they work gooood. How many of your friends and relatives have had polio?

Misinformation sites have an agenda. Talk with any reliable medical professional and they will tell you that masks and vaccines will help prevent the spread of COVID.

Egads!!! Get yourself vaccinated. Get your kids vaccinated. Wear the mask.

There’s been over 40 MILLION COVID cases in the US alone, with over 600,000 people dying from it. If we all work together, maybe this thing will go the way of smallpox. Or we can continue being stupid, not get vaccinated, not wear masks, and keep watching our friends and relatives get sick and maybe die.

The choice is ours. As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”

Second and Third Bumper Stickers of the Week (all were from the same car) –

 

We’re about 40,000 years removed from living in caves. Isn’t it time we started acting like it?

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FISHING-

Sunrise was magnificent.

I went to Mosquito Lagoon Thursday. Got a trout pretty quickly, and then later a redfish. Both came on a redfish worm fly. I must be out of practice, since I broke the rod tip trying to boat the redfish.

My first Florida fish since March.

Since I was done early, I did a boat ramp parking lot survey. Beacon 42- zero trailers. Haulover Canal- three trailers (I don’t count pontoon boat trailers). Biolab Ramp- zero trailers. Parrish Park- two trailers. Titusville Municipal Ramp- three trailers.

Doesn’t speak well for great fishing lately, that’s for sure.

That’s the report for this week. Thank you again for reading the post, A Rant from John. Life is great (if sometimes frustrating) and I loved exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, opinion, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

From West Bend to Flat Rock

August 28, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

From West Bend to Flat Rock

Thank you for reading this week’s post, From West Bend to Flat Rock. We went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week!
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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Bumper Sticker of the Week-

Traveling!

Beth at the Farmers Market.

Beth and Dave took us to the Farmer’s Market in West Bend. Like most Farmer’s Markets, it was quite entertaining, with lots of good stuff to eat and drink. Down the street, the Wisconsin Museum of Art was holding their annual Chalk Fest, in which numerous artists used chalk to create art of the sidewalks surrounding the museum. Great work, all.

Blue hair and great work.

We would like to officially thank Dave and Beth Olsen for all the fun and laughs we had while visiting them. They were kind and gracious, and we appreciate it!

We hit the road on Sunday morning, headed to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Much of the drive was on interstates, including going around Chicago. Not fun.

There was quite a bit of industry there.

The area around the National Park was industrial- US Steel industrial. It didn’t stop folks from going to the National Seashore beaches. They were packed! Lots of people having fun on the margin of Lake Michigan, with Chicago sitting on the horizon at the far side of the lake.

On the shores of Lake Michigan…

After a night at the National Lakeshore campground, we took back roads in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, all the way to Avon Lake, a Cleveland suburb. There were visited with Mike and Rosa Briola, friends, and parents of our daughter-in-law Catalina. Gracious in the extreme, they fed us, housed us, and showed us around the surprisingly lovely Cleveland.

Susan poses. Long live rock!

We visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We didn’t even get to see it all, but if you like rock and roll, it should be on your must-see list. So many of my musical heroes are on display there! Cleveland rocks!

The Hall of Fame housed memorabilia of some of my favorite rockers…

 

Albert King

 

Jeff Beck

 

Jimi Hendrix

 

Janis Joplin. Met Susan at a Janis Joplin concert in 1969.

Speaking of which, RIP Charlie Watts.

Speaking of which, RIP Bob Stearns. Very sad, Bob was one of my mentors, and helped me to get my first Alaska job. He was a walking encyclopedia of boating and fishing. But I digress.

Many thanks to Mike and Rosa for hosting us!

We left Cleveland, heading for the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. We had reserved two nights at Babcock State Park.

An almost heavenly spot, New River Gorge National Park.

West Virginia has the reputation of being almost heaven. We found it not to be deserved. I would love to fish the New River, and paddle a raft through the gorge. But we only used the first night of our two reserved, opting to lose the second night rather than spend any more time in the state.

Sandstone Falls, New River, West Virginia.

We drove to North Carolina and camped at Stone Mountain State Park.

The next day found us driving the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 100 miles, after which we got off and drove to Flat Rock, where we are currently visiting Jim and Kathy Tedesco. More graciousness from old friends. We are so lucky! And many thanks to the Tedescos for hosting us!

As I write this, Hurricane Ida threatens the Gulf coast. We’re eight hours drive from home, a long day, but doable. That storm is forecast to come this way. We may see Chuluota early next week. Home again, after five months plus?

That’s the report for this week. Thank you again for reading the post, From West Bend to Flat Rock. Life is great and I loved exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Visiting in Wisconsin

August 21, 2021 by · 2 Comments

Visiting in Wisconsin

Thank you for reading this week’s post, Visiting in Wisconsin. I got to do some fishing this week!
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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The Mississippi River, from Great River Bluff.

After a long drive through Iowa and Minnesota, we got a campsite at Minnesota’s Great River Bluffs State Park. There were views of the Mississippi River valley from the park. The river here was already large enough to have wing dams and significant barge traffic, as well as advisories against eating the fish. I did not fish here. The campground lacked privacy, so we left after one night.

The Mississippi River, from Great River Bluff.

 

Fall is on the way- the goldenrods are blooming.

From there we went to Wildcat Mountain State Park in Ontario, Wisconsin. This park had bluffs overlooking the Kickapoo River valley. Although the Kickapoo is a trout stream, I did not fish here, either. We did take a three-hour paddle trip, renting a boat from Drifty’s Canoe Rental.

The Kickapoo Valley from Wildcat Mountain.

 

Cliffs along the Kickapoo.

The river, although muddy from rains, was lovely. Fish were rising steadily during the first half of the trip. I wished I had my rod…

We paddled the ‘poo!

After two nights there, we drove to West Bend, where long-time friends Dave and Beth Olsen live. We had not seen them in a long time, and it was so good to pick up right where we’d left off! We were visiting in Wisconsin!

Beth and Dave have beautiful gardens.

I bought a Wisconsin fishing license, and went wade fishing in the Milwaukee River. Had the fish been big I would have rated it a ten. The fish were mostly small though, so even though I caught bass after bass (smallmouth), I can only give it a six. I tried a variety of flies- wooly bugger, bunny leech, Son of Clouser- and caught fish on all of them. I did not get a bite on a surface fly. A small pike relieved me of the bunny leech. It was a pleasant day fishing a nice stream. I wish a couple three- or four-pounders had been in the mix.

Best smallie I got. Unfortunately the camera focused on the river.

Dave took me fishing in a friend’s farm pond the next day. Jim, the owner, was so gracious that he rowed out to where we were fishing to deliver a couple cold brewskis. I don’t get that kind of surface very often!

Dave Olsen, bass master.

 

Before he began fishing, Jim brought us some beer!

I was fly fishing, Dave used a spin rod. I got some fat bluegills and some largemouth bass- bunny leech, odd bass streamers, and finally a gurgler mouse. Dave used spinner baits, buzz baits, and a weedless bass frog, and caught bass after bass, all largemouth. The fish ran a pound and a half, two pounds, all cookie-cutter fish. A solid day of fishing, though.

The pond had large bluegills!

Dave brought me to Little Cedar Lake next. We got there at the crack of 10 AM, already hot and sunny. Water skiers and jet skis were zooming around on a lake surrounded by homes. In the lake are bluegills, crappie, perch, walleyes, bass, and pike. We got two small and one decent bass between us. As the heat and the boat traffic increased, I could see our chances of fish decreasing. We bagged it about two o’clock.

The traveling couple.

And that’s the report for this week. Thank you again for reading the post, Visiting in Wisconsin. Life is great and I love exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

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

Exploring in South Dakota- Photo Essay

August 14, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

Exploring in South Dakota

Thank you for reading this week’s post, Exploring in South Dakota. This week again has been phenomenal!
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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A last sunset from Missoula.

What we wanted to see after leaving Missoula was the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. I’ve always been way more sympathetic to the Indians than to Custer, and wanted to see where this last major battle in the inevitable defeat of the natives happened.

The National Cemetery at the Little Bighorn Battlefield site.

We didn’t realize it’s a national cemetery, too.

Memorial marker where a Sioux warrior fell.

 

Memorial marker where a US trooper fell. The Little Bighorn River is below in the distance.

 

Part of the Indian memorial at the battle site.

In the recent past the Indians have been able to add their side of the story to the monument- they were fighting for their homes and way of life. Although there’s a tragic undertone to the site, physically it’s magnificent and the realness of what happened here makes it a very worthwhile visit. We were both glad we went.

Sunset, Hardin Montana.

We stayed at a campground in Hardin that night, where the sunset, always a miracle, was close to spectacular.

They need no introduction.

Our next stop was the Black Hills, in southwestern South Dakota. Every year for the past 81, there’s a motorcycle rally in Sturgis in August. There had to be 20,000 motorcycles there. We walked right into the middle of it. I’m not a big crowd guy, and when the crowd is motorized loud, well, let’s just say I thought my timing awful. Plus, all the prices were jacked up.

Sunset, Belle Fourche, South Dakota.

In spite of that we took a scenic if loud drive through the gorgeous Black Hills, terminating our first day in South Dakota at Mt. Rushmore. The scale of the sculpture makes it worth seeing. But again, sympathizing with the Indians, the Black Hills were sacred to the Sioux. Putting that sculpture there was a giant “up yours.”

 

 

 

We had been advised to visit Custer State Park. The wildlife drive is like an African safari, although ours had thousands of motorcycles. Even with that- incredible. Hundreds of bison, antelope, deer, and hordes of prairie dogs greeted us. At the end of it we entered Wind Cave National Park, and bought tickets for a Wind Cave tour.

According to their legends, the ancestors of the Sioux came from under ground through this small hole.

The Sioux creation story involves their ancestors coming out of a small hole in the ground, in the Black Hills. The site was, and is, their most sacred place. Now it’s where our tour was- into the very same cave, one of the world’s largest cave systems.

The cave is narrow inside.

 

Tourists look at the “box” formations on the ceiling of the cave.

 

Susan poses for an informal, in-cave portrait.

It’s not Carlsbad, but it was still awesome. I’ve only been in three caves, all on tours, but I can see each cave has its own unique personality. This one is highly recommended!

A bighorn sheep on a ridge at Badlands National Park.

 

Susan and the fantasticness.

That left Badlands National Park. An hour’s drive put us in this park. Bison greeted us immediately, followed shortly by prairie dogs and bighorn sheep. And almost unbelievable rock formations. The rock there is strange, like highly compacted mud. Water erodes it pretty easily, and carves it into grotesque and fantastic shapes. The layers of sediments from which these shapes are carved have different colors, adding to the fantasticness, to coin a word.

Susan points to “my” fossil, well above her. It’s still there!

Lots of fossils are discovered in the park. Susan and I went for a hike, and I found one.

Photographing the sunset.

 

Sunset, Badlands Park.

We were fortunate enough to get a campsite at the park’s campground. It was Perseid meteor shower time, so we got to see some meteors while I photographed the Milky Way. Then we wake up to the Badlands in the morning. I am so blessed!!!

Milky Way, Badlands Park.

A drive across the state followed. The speed limit on I-90 in South Dakota is a cool 80 MPH. You can cover some ground! From the state park where I type this, Iowa is one mile distant, and Minnesota maybe 35. We’ll be in another state tomorrow night.

And that’s the report for this week. Thank you again for reading the post, Exploring in South Dakota. Life is great and I love exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Dash Across Idaho

August 9, 2021 by · 2 Comments

A Dash Across Idaho

Thank you for reading this week’s post, A Dash Across Idaho. This week again has been just awesome!
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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A last photo of the stunning Oregon coast.

After leaving the Oregon coast (one last photo!), we spent a couple days around Portland. Went into the city one day. It doesn’t take long to understand, “Keep Portland Weird,” is taken to heart by the people living there. We didn’t know where to go (poor research on my part) and parking was a nightmare, so after walking a bit, visiting the world’s largest independent bookstore, and getting something to eat we returned to our hotel.

Lots of these coming off the Columbia!

We drove through the Columbia River Gorge. You can see where salmon might have trouble returning to their natal streams, what with all the dams. The gorge still has great beauty, though. I can hardly imagine what the Lewis and Clark party must have thought as they descended, and later ascended, the river!

As we drove inland, the berries were past their prime.

We had intended to spend a few days in western Washington and several days in Idaho. Triple digit temperatures and thick smoke from wildfires changed that plan, right now! We got on the interstate and drove four hundred miles in one day, from the Columbia River Gorge to St. Regis, Montana, where I just ran out of gas. What a dash across Idaho it was! We found an RV park, booked two nights.

Two sports and their guide, drifting the Clark Fork.

The next day I broke out my tackle, went to the local fly shop for some advice and a fishing license, and went wading in the St. Regis River, starting at its confluence with the Clark Fork of the Columbia. This was to be my very first fishing in Montana. It did not disappoint.

Rainbow on dry fly, awesome catch!

On my third cast I hit a beautiful cutthroat trout (15-16 inches, best guess) that took a drifted nymph. No, I did not use a bobber. I could hardly believe my luck! Until, not having a net, I leadered the fish. It surged and popped the 5x easily. I was out the fly, fortunately barbless, and did not get a photo.

Same fish, different angle.

I’d love to say it got better, but that would not be true. However, it did not really get worse, either. In four hours, I unhooked eight or nine fish, all cutts but one feisty rainbow. That fish nailed a Purple Haze (basically an Adams with a purple body), and jumped a half-dozen times! I got several other fish on dries too, not to mention all the hooked and lost and missed strikes. It was pretty awesome!

We drove to Missoula and booked two nights in an RV park. While checking out town and an art gallery, we were advised to visit the National Bison Refuge. An hour later we were literally on a bison safari there- un-bee-lee-va-bull! Can’t recommend it highly enough.

 

Don’t know what these are called, but suspect they are invasive.

 

All the smoke made for a blood red sunset.

The next day we visited Garnet, a gold mining ghost town. Different than I expected (I was thinking of the OK Corral), it was a worthwhile delve into history made real. The town had a school, but it also had thirteen saloons. I guess mining is thirsty work.

It’s a ghost town, but she is quite real!

 

Suspect this beautifully colored thistle is invasive, too.

We switched campgrounds and ended up on the bank of the Jocko River. I wanted to fish immediately but another camper told me I needed a reservation permit.

One of the few photos I shot at Glacier National Park. Note the smoke.

Dean Altenhofen texted me, telling me he and his wife had a Glacier National Park Pass for the next day, and did we want to go? We met them in Polson, and went with them to the park. It was a lot of car time, but the park is amazing. The only problem was that there was so much smoke in the air, photography was a wash. Thank you, Dean and Sunday, for an amazing day!

Didn’t fish this, but sure would like to!

 

Dean works the Jocko.

Dean and I planned a fishing trip for the next day, fishing the Jocko. It’s a small stream but one of the prettiest I have ever seen. The gravel was awesome, lots of red and pink and orange. The fish ran small, but they were plentiful and eager. We caught many. The best was about 12 inches long, a cutt that took a wooly booger. Most fish were caught on dries, though. Another great day, and thank you once again, Dean!

Typical Jocko cutthroat.

 

A lovely pool gets a line.

 

And that’s the report for this week. Thank you again for reading the post, A Dash Across Idaho. Life is great and I love exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

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

US 101 in Oregon- A Photo Essay

July 31, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

US 101 in Oregon- A Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this week’s post, US 101 in Oregon. This week has been just awesome!
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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Bumper Sticker of the Week (been too long since I did this!)-

Flowers are ubiquitous along the coastal road. So many are invasive exotics, though.

Everlasting pea, an invasive exotic.

 

Crocosmia, an invasive exotic.

 

Fennel, another invasive exotic, growing under the US 101 bridge over the Rogue River.

I love all the blackberries, but they’re another invasive. A very delicious invasive.

Susan picks blackberries from the van!

 

Handful of delicious.

Famous fishing rivers split the coast into sections- the Rogue, the Umpqua, the Columbia. You see lots of fishing activity, and lots of seafood restaurants. I haven’t fished, but I’ve certainly eaten seafood!

Trolling for salmon on the Rogue River.

 

This commercial fishing boat reminded me of my son.

 

These guys are tougher than me. That water is REAL cold.

 

Sea lions get some fish!

 

A wall mural in Reedsport.

 

One of the places we “caught” some fish.

We went to an elk viewing area outside of Reedsport.

 

The Oregon coast has lots of lighthouses, lots of fog, and lots of sand dunes. The diversity continually astonishes.

A paddle boarder at Sunset Bay.

 

Lighthouse at Yaquina Head.

 

In Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

 

Fog over the Umpqua River, Gardiner, Oregon.

 

Susan explores a caboose at the railway museum.

 

Sometimes, you just need to relax!

 

Low tide meets dusk at Nehalem Beach.

Thank you again for reading this week’s post, US 101 in Oregon. Life is great and I love exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

On The Road (again)- A Photo Essay

July 24, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

On The Road (again)- A Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this week’s post, On The Road (again). In our indirect way, Susan and I are headed back to Florida. We have some concerns about the hot weather, but we have not run into it yet.
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Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
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Just one of an infinite number of views from Highway 1.

 

This is another.

We left the California Kumiskis Sunday morning, headed for CA Hwy 1 and Salt Point State Park. Like Hwy 1 south of San Francisco, Hwy 1 north of the city has the same stunning, jaw-dropping, and terrifying views. Part of the time we were in fog, so the most terrifying areas were blanketed from view, both a good and a bad thing.

Susan records an image at Salt Point State Park.

 

This is one I got. The rocks are fantastic!

 

There were fishermen trying their luck.

We reached Salt Point SP and went down to the water. OMG! The most amazing rock formations, all very mysterious too, because of the fog. We hiked along the coastal trail a couple miles. I ran into two fly fishermen who had been fishing the surf for rockfish, not without success. They were using 8-wt outfits with 300 grain sink lines, #20 leaders, and white Clouser minnows, #1 and 1/0.

Brown pelicans over the Pacific.

At sunset we went back. Sue stayed in the car while I burned film (so to speak- I shoot digital now). She was ready to call a search party, since I stayed until it was too dark to shoot any more.

The waves come in…

 

Another view, same area.

Our next adventure of note was the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Avenue of the Giants. A thirty mile drive through groves of some of the biggest trees on the planet. We took a few short hikes and I tried to photograph the trees, failing fairly miserably. Redwood trees in actuality make a mockery of images of redwood trees. I had plenty of chances and got nothing I liked. But the walks! Incredible!

Redwoods in the Stout grove. Susan adds some perspective.

 

Darlingtonia pitcher plants.

 

This may be some kind of lily, but I could not identify it.

Next stop was the Smith River National Recreation Area. Somehow the Smith River was spared dams- it’s the longest free-flowing stream on this part of the coast. It hosts a legendary run of steelhead, of course not while I was there. But we visited a couple bogs full of Darlingtonia pitcher plants, and hiked through the Stout redwood grove, again amazing. I got a couple photos here which almost begin to do justice to the trees.

The blackberry bushes here were heavy with fruit. My fingers and lips got stained purple, and my legs and arms got well-scratched by the briers. I may have eaten five pound of berries- it was awesome!!!

Near sunset at Myers Creek Beach, Oregon.

I write this from Gold Beach, Oregon, at the mouth of the Rogue River. I’ve looked into fishing the Rogue, don’t know that I will. We’ve been to the beach, and some shops. I hope to get some beach pictures this evening. Cross the fingers!

After sunset, same beach.

Thank you again for reading this week’s post, On The Road (again). Life is great and I love exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Take a trip! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River- A Photo Essay

July 17, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River- A Photo Essay

View from the airplane, on the way to Goodnews.

Thank you for reading this week’s post on A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River. Couldn’t post last week because there’s no internet service at Goodnews!

The wildflowers are fantastic. These are irises…

 

…and these are lupines. There are lots of other kinds!

We (Maxx and I) left here (San Francisco) Tuesday, got to Goodnews Wednesday at 5 PM the next day. Alex and the rest of the Goodnews crew met us and transported us to the Goodnews River Lodge, too late to fish. We put it off until Thursday, then fished every day through Tuesday. We fished for king salmon, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Dolly varden, and Arctic grayling.

The first fish we caught were king salmon.

 

The source of the power!

 

Maxx being silly.

 

Revival, in cold water.

 

We got some slobs on fly.

Expressing how wonderful it was to fish in Alaska with my two sons is next to impossible. It was fantastic! And we caught fish every day!

We spent time gurgling and got Dollies, grayling, and rainbow trout.

 

We had some incredible scenery.

 

Maxx battles a grayling.

 

 

Alex’s girlfriend Allison joined us for some fun!

 

Even I caught some.

 

The Goodnews valley, truly God’s country.

 

We got some Dollies!

 

Everyone loves a nice rainbow trout.

 

 

We had some fun!

 

 

Thank you again for reading this week’s post on A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River. Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Take a trip! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Goodnews River- Alaska Fishing Report, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

A Week Around Castro Valley- A Photo Essay

July 3, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

A Week Around Castro Valley- A Photo Essay

Happy Independence Day! Please stay safe!

Thank you for reading this week’s post on a week around Castro Valley. My apologies for not posting last week. I basically hung around and regained my strength after being sick. Not much to write about there.

At the Japanese Tea Garden.

 

Guess where?

 

The best scene in the garden.

Monday, Susan and I drove into San Francisco, always an adventure, and visited the Japanese Tea Garden and the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, both in Golden Gate Park. The Tea Garden was pretty meh, but the botanical gardens were fantastic! Plants and flowers from all over the world, and lots of plants in bloom. I’d recommend it to anyone. Bring warm clothes!

At the botanical garden. I don’t know what these are called. I call them jellyfish flowers,

 

Spectacular agave!

 

California poppies.

 

An Oakland storefront. I hope they’re doing well!

 

Oakland has some industry.

 

An un-political mural, so nicely done!

Tuesday, we went on a murals tour of Oakland. Oakland is such a complex town- multicultural, artsy, great restaurants, awesome Chinatown, lots of homeless people, the birthplace of the Black Panther movement, some rough neighborhoods. Many of the murals were political in nature, and there were lots of great ones. We had lunch in Chinatown, too, always a good time!

 

From the Palestinian Solidarity wall.

 

A mural in Oakland’s Chinatown.

 

Wednesday, we went on a historical walking tour of San Leandro. Caterpillar Equipment Company started here. The home of the founder, still a private, 140-year-old-home, is here, and it looks great. Casa Peralta, listed in the National Register of Historical Places, is also here. An interesting property to visit due to the tile work, it’s badly in need of repairs.

Susan at Casa Peralta.

 

Many of the tiles had a Don Quixote theme.

 

 

Some tiles were religious in nature.

Thursday, we went hiking in the Reinhardt Regional Redwood Park in Oakland. The trees are second and third generation redwoods, so not as impressive as the virgin trees. They are still awesome. The hike, about five miles, was beautiful.

Some young redwood trees.

Friday was errands day, and that brings us up-to-date!

I am taking a Bye Week next week- will not be in an internet service area!! It may have something to do with fishing…

Thank you again for reading this week’s post on a week around Castro Valley. Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Take a trip! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , ,
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