Well, they are out with it…the next wave of weather suggests the Pacific NW will be colder and wetter than normal. The NOAA site provides info re La Niña (and, El Niño)
La Niña
Archive for October, 2011
21
Oct
11
La Niña (Brrrrr!!!)
Salmon Running the Gauntlet (PBS @ Fly Fisherman Anonymous)
This is a pretty informative piece by PBS re the history of NW Salmon and the origins of the hatchery concept. The piece is a portion of a longer show, which you can access via the above link. There are additional spin off pieces about the Columbia River dams.
“Most discussions about the causes of declining salmon runs focus on the four H’s: habitat, hatcheries, harvest and hydropower. But the most important factor may be an ‘I’, as in invasive species.” (Report here)
18
Oct
11
Whales vs. Salmon
Whales vs. Salmon and Fisher: Am I missing something here. These good ol’ boys seem more worried about a missed ’50 pounder’ (my ass) than the amazing spectacle of whales all about. Apparently, being in Alaska, they are more accustomed to whales all about their boat than catching a ’50 pounder’. Now, I have been up there enough times to see some amazing whale encounters around the boat and beneath it. But, these boys remind me why we staff Coast Guard facilities up that way. Maybe one just gets use to such sites, like when you put out of Sitka and eagles are as abundant as seagulls in Tillamook.
Well Renee Nicole Douceur was flown out from the research facility in the Antarctica to New Zealand..that was probably a long, uncertain experience for her. But, I find the typical ‘rescue’ (evacuation) itself more interesting. Just a few clips of an piece say it all…..
LC-130 Hercules
Antarctica is not only the coldest continent but the driest, highest and windiest, according to the CIA World Factbook……
The continent is so cold that if plane engines are turned off during winter, the fuel can freeze into a jelly….
These are not your typical runways. The Pegasus White Ice Runway, for example, sits on a 110-foot-thick (34 meters) glaciated shelf with several inches of snow on top…
During the winter, the continent is dark 24 hours a day. The runways do not have permanent lights because they are on ice. Landings and takeoffs can be dangerous even when the sun is shining on the runways; wind can kick up snow and block pilots’ vision…..
During a white-out landing, pilots must land in a part of the Antarctic sea ice runway that has been surveyed and known to be clear of any hazards. Essentially, the pilots land blind….
“You can have almost an instantaneous hurricane win… Seventy miles per hour (113 kph) is nothing. It can be up to 100 mph (160 kph), no problem.” MSNBC
17
Oct
11
Fly Fishing: Albright Knot Use
THE ALBRIGHT KNOT ANIMATED
The Albright Knot is versatile knot, that fly fishers can use to attach the reel’s backing to the fly line. It can be used to join two sections of mono that vary more than usual in diameter. I have seen it used to join the tip of the fly line to the butt section of a leader instead of the usual nail knot (this was for salmon/steelhead W/F lines…keep it small and tag ends trimmed nicely). A slightly different Albright Knot version…
INTERVIEW: JOHN SNIVELY BY MONICA TRAUZZI RE PEBBLE MINE
Robert & Mihaela Vicol
This is interesting an Caddis pattern. What is instructive, for the beginning fly tier, is the use of the rotary vise (benefits vs. wrapping on fixed vise) and the materials used to create the Long Kong Kaddis (Hook Fly Fishing Site).
Shannon's Long Kong Kaddis (Hook Fly Fishing)
Seems about this time of year with the change in the weather, I get into this ‘be prepared mode’. I probably go out into a wilderness setting more in the Spring and Summer, but the elements, light and the occasional lost hiker prompt me to at least share my concerns about being prepared and safe.
The just recent cases of an Oregon lady supposedly lost in the Mt. Hood Wilderness and the recovery/deceased of another woman in the nearby State of Washington raised my awareness to an internal process in Search and Rescue (SAR) missions: The consulting with experts to evaluate your probable chances of survival given the factors: were you prepared (gear), do you have a history of knowing how to conduct yourself in the wilds, the weather, the terrain, your known health/fitness factors, etc.
I want to share some very interesting stats and time line markers re the search and termination of the search should you become lost. The resources are very fascinating and should be read and shared.
“Oregon Health & Science University emergency medicine researchers set out to develop a model that could be used by search and rescue teams to determine when a search and rescue (SAR) mission could be terminated without abandoning potential survivors. The model found time to be the most important variable in determining whether a person will be found alive. Ninety-nine percent of people found alive were found within the first 51 hours after being reported missing. Their findings are published in the most recent edition of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine.“
“The model found a high rate of survival for people found within 17 hours of first being reported missing, a moderate rate of survival for those missing between 17 and 51 hours, and a low rate of survival for individuals missing for more then 51 hours. The analysis also found people reported missing in May through October were less likely to survive, as were people older than 60. Individuals reported missing on land were more likely to be found alive than those reported missing from a water-based activity.” (Read the entire report)
The SAR Missions are now, and probably have been, but now it is more openly presented, using these timeline markers and ‘experts’ to decide if the search will continue. If you are lost, you need to stay safe, composed and alert to SAR operations trying to find you. If you are family/friends of the lost person, the difficult decision re termination of SAR ops will be presented to you given the above timelines at some point. The probabilities of survival will be used to protect the searching resources. A fact of life, maybe a fact in death. Be prepared!!!
I have highlighted TimO’Dell’s cigar shop, Tim’s Great Cigars in Wood Village, Oregon. I dropped by today to say howdy and check out the shop. I hadn’t been in for awhile and I was struck by his expanded inventory of cigars. He carries a little pipe tobacco and some inexpensive pipes, but he mostly has a fine selection of cigars.
Tim O'Dell's Shop in Wood Village, Oregon
Tim transplanted from Hawaii a few years back and is an avid fisherman, adept at swinging a fly on the Deschutes R. He likes to collect vintage electric guitars and fly fishing gear.
Take I-84 to Exit 16 (Wood Village exit), head South up the hill a short distance to NE Halsey Street and Tim’s Great Cigars is over on the SE corner. Look for that Cigar Indian.
12
Oct
11
Feather Tattoo Design & Meaning
SwittersB & Fly Fishing receives a lot of daily enquiries re feather tattoo design. I have read various comments re the visitors’ perceptions of what the tattoo (displayed or someday acquired means to them) means.
Flight, freedom, part of a greater whole, nature, Native American heritage, natural colors, pretty in a sexy spot. Bottom line, the tattoo you acquire should, must have a meaning beyond some fanciful, momentary impulse. Feathers are a perfect, soft and bold statement. You decide what the meaning is for you. It doesn’t require an explanation, other than if someone sincerely asks. Otherwise, let them compliment and say thanks. Now, of course, some tattoo locations will not be seen by everyone.
Tickle, Tickle
