River Gages: Become Familiar With One Near You

NOAA Gage Stations in Pacific NW

Whether you are planning a float trip, a fishing guide, a kayaker, a bank bound fisherman or a property owner monitoring a rising river, a river gage is an important piece of information. It may be a large measuring stick affixed to a bridge support that measures the rising waters or more sophisticated gages that measure height and CFS (Cubic Feet per Second). NOAA has such gages across the U.S. I am sure other countries have similar systems as a means of monitory flows. Become familiar with these systems for safety or whether a planned trip should be canceled due to projected blow outs of a river system.  A helpful suggestion: keep a journal or note somehow the fishable/floatable levels. Note when the river is blown out and note those levels. Note the historic floods and what is considered flood stage. Home Page NOAA. There are other excellent NW resources too: USGS Gages & Westfly. 

Adventure: Brit, 201 Countries, 4 years, no planes

“A British adventurer has become the first person to travel to all 201 sovereign states in the world without flying, ending his four-year odyssey early Monday when he arrived in South Sudan, the world’s newest nation.

Graham Hughes has used buses, boats, taxis, trains, and his own two feet – but never an airplane – to travel 160,000 miles in exactly 1,426 days, spending an average of less than $100 a week.”  (CSM-Mike Pflanz)

ALSO CHECK OUT ANIA & JON AT THE HITCH HIKERS’ HANDBOOK

Life: Up and At ’em

Viktor Pivovarov (Russian Born, Resides in Prague) Illustrator of Children's Books

Another reminder to shake off those Winter blues, doldrums; shake off the mental sludge. I didn’t get any Winter Steelheading in…not one time. So, this hunkered down, staring at the four walls is a very tired option.

I have been tying a bit. Planning a trip here or there. The gear is setting about, being inventoried and fondled. The truck needs a good cleaning. The back needs some serious rearranging to make room for the gear. Yes, it is indeed time to get out from underneath the mental and physical restraints. Work out the kinks in the legs and hips and look up toward the distance. Good things coming………….

Aren’t I just positively inspiring?

 

Beginning Fly Fisher’s: Keep Your Eyes On…….

Beginning Fly Tying Courses at Fly Shops and Community Colleges

If no shops are nearby then find those Podcasts & other on line resources

Find Hatch Charts for Your Local Streams or Planned For Destinations

River Levels & Gage Station Reports for Your Area or Destinations

Reporting Stations for Mountain Passes

Hire a Guide Someday…Save Your Dinero

Identify a FF Club in Your Area and Attend a Meeting to see if it fits 

Check Fly Shops and News Papers for Fly Tying Expositions & Attend 

All these are practical planning ideas to spend the Winter months planning for open waters or Spring  openers. Tying, Watching others tie, safe road trips, planning for a trip, anticipating ice-off, hiring a guide and watching the river levels are all part of the planning process. Find the resources and keep your eyes on the charts, gages and levels. Part of the fun! Did I mention ‘planning’?