Fly Tying the Random Tuft: Midges

If you followed here over the last few years, you know I am not an exacting fly tier. I admire those that are, but I am in the ‘impressionistic’ category…a deluded bunch who rationalize our tying with poor vision and various other maladies (not funny I know…I have a dear friend in one of these categories). So, let me move to my usual excuse, my vision. Last year I bought those magnification goggles. A purchase that has improved my tying to some degree and relieved some frustrations.

A pile of randomness, designed to baffle trout and agitate them.

The frustration comes about when I try to photograph some small fly and upon seeing my creation via the macro lens, I am brought up short at how imprecise I am. Even now with my goofy goggles, I tie with a degree of chaos. Oh well, no two flies alike and it seems to suit me. Of course, don’t let that dissuade you from striving for perfection.

I wonder in both patterns, if snipping off the bottom portion of the hackle would improve hook-ability on such small hooks? I have had reasonable success with Griffith’s Gnats, so I imagine these will grab just fine. The nippers can always touch up the fly if needed.

I haven’t photographed many flies in the past several months, so my settings are off and I hope you will forgive the lighting/backgrounds and clarity. 

Bungee Cord Snaps…Eek!!!

Aussie Girl Survives African Bungee Disaster

Lights Out: Destiny, Luck?

Life's Journey & the Dead Ends (1953)

This picture has nothing to do with fly fishing or the outdoors. It is a picture of Rusty (L), Ruth and SwittersB (R). Rusty and Ruth were brother/sister. We all lived in a working class neighborhood that in retrospect was rough, being situated adjacent to taverns, bars, industry, low rent and hard people.

We played all the usual kid’s games and all seemed simple and safe to us.

Ruth left home young chasing some hard case. She was found dumped in a lot, naked and done.

Rusty, an outlaw biker, laid his chopper down on a Portland bridge and perished beneath a car.

My parents moved us across town to a nicer neighborhood. I learned not to wear my pants so high on my hips.

 

Aurora Borealis History @ Space Weather

INTERESTING HISTORY ON SPACE WEATHER EVENTS

BOREALIS PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP

AURORA BOREALIS OVER KENAI ALASKA (Telegraph.UK)

“Spaceweather.com has an alert service you can subscribe to. I got it about a month ago. It sends you a message when there is magnetic storm event being triggered by a solar storm so you can be on the lookout for northern lights. Pretty cool. These are spectacular events to witness. I’ve seen several good ones and it can be so “other worldy” that you almost have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s not some kind of dream! Hollywood can’t touch this stuff! We are heading into a solar peak and the next couple years are expected to be very active (hopefully not to active) as we are coming out an inordinately long solar minimum. Keep an eye out, if you catch a good one you will never forget it.” Wayne Mumford @ Will Fish For Work

Alexandra Shevchenko’s Hops

Ok, I am an old guy with arthritis and poor coordination. I can barely wade a river without stumbling. So, when I see a young person hurling their body about with reckless abandon I find it fascinating. Given I get dizzy doing a forward roll, well kind of a forward roll, I find it fun to watch.

Alexandra Shevchenko & Friends

Renee-Nicole Douceur Rescued from Antarctica to NZ

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

Search & Rescue (SAR)…Time Considerations

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.

OHSU Researchers Find Time Is Best Predictor Of Survival In Search And Rescue Missions (July 17, 2007)

“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!!!