Clint Howard

Some great tweeters to follow: @cabelas @the_fishinghole @BradleySmoker @NESASK @papasbasement (maybe the best Twitter profile I have ever read “On-air personality, writer and tragically loyal Redskins fan. Oh, and I’m handsome. Like Clint Howard circa Gentle Ben.” That is classic).

The Green River in Utah

The Green River Outfitter and Guides Association is seeking help with a survey from anglers who have fished the Green at any time in the last few years.  The survey is a fast one but can provide them with information that they will use to hopefully improve the angling experience for all those who enjoy the river.  Take a moment and fill out the survey.  Thanks.

Green River Survey

Eurasian Collared-Dove (via utahbirds.org)

I consider myself a pretty perceptive guy.  I am usually the first person to see a deer in the hills or a trout swimming but I will admit I think have been a little slow on the pick up in this case.  There are a bunch of doves that frequent my feeders and are pretty much there all day, even when I am out there.  I had always assumed that they were all mourning doves, but recently I had noticed that some of them have a black half circle on the back of their necks.  It finally occurred to me that I should look and see what was up with that.  Turns out I have new birds in my yard (for who knows how long).  They are Eurasian Collared-Doves.  Turns out they haven’t been in our country for very long.  They were introduced in the Bahamas in the mid-1970′s and have spread across the entire country.  Interestingly, they really only live in populated areas and don’t live out in the wild areas inhabited by mourning doves.  I have never been a very  big fan of introduced species (although I seem to make convenient allowances for certain non-native trout).

Eurasian Collared-Dove (via The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Eurasian Collared-Dove (via utahbirds.org)

A rainbow of Fish Sculls (TM)

Have you seen Fish Sculls before? These are the evolutionary next step in fly tying beads.  The Flymen Fishing Co. has created these formed and colored heads for flies that look really compelling.  They are specifically weighted to provide a keel to your streamers and the cool thing is that you don’t put them on as the first step for tying a fly, like a traditional bead.  These slip on at the end of the tie and as a result allow some interesting interaction with your materials such as hackles, rabbit strips, or long dubbing.

Scull Fracture Rainbow

Utah on the Fly contributing user RnF posted a cool tutorial for a pattern he calls the Scull Fracture.  Along with the tutorial you can find the full material listing and some other variations of the pattern.  Looks like a great fly.  I would love to fish the rainbow trout version on the Green River in the summer time after they stock the river.  I have seen several large browns eat little stock trout right off the hook when anglers were reeling them in.  Click here for the full post.  Video below:

Here are some tweeters worth following @wingert17 @NickChillPhoto @MrNetty @NHillgarth @outsidehilary

ReAL Racer Pinewood Derby Car

Ok, so not really a green car per se, but this car is completely emission free and still goes pretty fast, provided you have a nice slope.

My son designed this car and helped me build it for his most recent pinewood derby.  It is inspired by our favorite sports team, Real Salt Lake.  On the tail it has my son’s soccer jersey number (and also that of Chris Wingert, defender for RSL).

I would like to report that the car is as fast as it looks, but I would be lying.  Unfortunately, I made the mistake of tacking weights onto the bottom of the car which dragged a bit on the track.  I think the car also needed to be better aligned as it veered a little right.  Well you can’t have it all I suppose, or at least not when I am in charge.  Maybe next year we will go for the speed and leave the looks behind.

Now we just need to get Chris Wingert to sign it.  That would be a nice touch.  Here are a few more views (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

You are here somewhere

Well today is the day we celebrate our wonderful planet. I am going to try and spend a little time to get out and enjoy wilds of my backyard to watch some birds or something.  I know my feeders could all use a good topping off and my suet cage is empty again so time to hang a new one.  I will probably also open the blinds in my office for the day and let some sun shine in.  I will also not be driving to work today, which is easy to do since I work from home.

How about you dear readers? How will you be spending the day?

By the way, there are still 2 unclaimed free suet cakes on the line for the first two US based readers to leave a comment today. Enjoy!

Frito's Bungie Buzzer

I have previously expressed my admiration for the Idaho Statesman newspaper for promoting fly fishing and fly tying by publishing a fly pattern weekly.  I can now show some love to my own local newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune, for following suit.  Pretty cool.

So this week’s fly is called Frito’s Bungie Buzzer.  Quite a name.  It is a riff on the zebra midge and looks like plenty of fish will find it to their liking.

Here are some great tweeters: @patbumstead @BrettPrettyman @OutdoorsMag @duncraft @NESASK

Pete between the oars

I recently got in touch with my old boss from my guiding days, Pete.  He and my favorite local outdoor news writer Brett Prettyman took a marathon day trip to the Green River on Tuesday 4/13 and floated the B Section.  Sounds like amidst the snow and sun breaks they had a great time fishing.  Read more about it here.

They floated with one of the Green River originals, Emmett Heath who has recently returned to work for Western Rivers Flyfisher in Salt Lake City.  My favorite Emmett story, which I understand is supported by video evidence, is also from the B section of the river.  The story goes that he was taking a crew from Fly Fisherman magazine down the river for a video they were shooting.  They filmed him as he made his way through the most technical rapid on the fishing sections of the river, Red Creek Rapid.  Usually in low water guides choose to have clients walk around the rapid as there is a fairly high chance of a mishap in the rocky rapid.  On this occasion, however, he had the woman who hosted the show float through with him.  Apparently just as they entered the chute where you “drop” into the rapid, his oarlock malfunctioned and pulled out leaving him with only one working oar.  Somehow he had the cool to get through the rest of the rapid and get them both safely through.  It would be cool to see the video of that.  I wonder if it is out on YouTube somewhere.  I would have had to change my shorts after that for sure!