A New Journey…

I want to give a big thanks to the surgeons who removed my left kidney on Wednesday, September 4, in Westwood, CA. They had to deal with a bunch of scar tissue and adhesion from my previous abdominal surgery in May of this year, in order to safely remove the organ and attached clear cell carcinoma tumor. They said they got all of it and I now have a 7 inch horizontal scar under my left ribcage to mark the occasion. My daughter Nadia got me this lid because  almost everyone in this facility, who has served, wears one on their head to identify the branch and service they were in…

I was told it would be about 6-8 weeks of recovery before I feel somewhat “normal” again…There is considerable pain on my left side where the incision to remove the kidney was made…

 

NEXT: Something to do with fly fishing…

 

 

PT/TB

 

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Big MOO on the Upper Deschutes River…

During his trip to Oregon, Michael visited the Upper Deschutes River a couple of times. These are some of the photographs he passed on to me … Although he didn’t catch any Trout of gigantic proportions, he caught a lot of smaller guys that kept him busy. The scenery was enough to keep him satisfied…

Checking in…

That is a dramatic shot !!!

Down in the canyon…

A  plunge pool…

The guy who took the photos…Michael, AKA Big MOO…

A Rainbow !!!

A lot of fishy water…

Along the cliffs…

Another view upstream…

Another small Rainbow Trout…

I want to be there ! …

Calm…

Sunset on the Upper Deschutes…

Brewskis…Three Creeks Brewing Company…

 

NEXT: I will be having surgery this week to remove my left kidney which has a cancerous tumor…it’s up in the air as to what my next post will be about…

 

 

PT/TB

Big MOO on the Metolius River…

Michael and Aimee traveled West to Oregon for her family’s bi-annual get together. This time, they chose a big family visit to Sisters, Oregon. After get acclimated to their new surroundings and a visit to a nearby lake and stream, Michael got serious and headed up tp Camp Sherman for some advise, information and local flies…

Big MOO at the Camp Sherman store/ Fly Shop…

Neat little Fly Shop !

Seeking information on locations and fly patterns to use…

A visit to the nearby Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery…

A little creek that Michael visited…

Callibaetis from a nearby lake…

Free living Caddis on a rock from the above creek…

Another Callibaetis and a Caddis Fly…Michael likes to photograph bugs…

Finally…Michael in the Metolius River…

A selfie…with the Winston BIIX, 9′, 5wt. …

I like this water…

Another perspective…

Metolius River near Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery…

Rigging flies on the Metolius River…

Another good looking stretch of water...

Michael working the water…on the Metolius River…

Around a bend, late in the day…

Ok…this is THE PLACE !!!

A Trout…

 

Next: Big MOO on the upper Deschutes River…

 

 

PT/TB

Pullman to Los Angeles…

Aly and I left Pullman to head down to Los Angeles on Thursday, July 25. She went to visit her Mom and friends and I came down for further medical care in Southern California…I will be down here until there is a resolution of those issues. I look forward to being in Pullman once again and fishing in Eastern Washington and Idaho. I have already received an invitation to fly fish with a friend on the Madison River, in Montana, next Summer…I would like to do that as well…

See ya’ La Casa…

How is all this stuff going to fit in that tiny car ???

Belted up and ready to zoom …

Next stop Winnemucca, Nevada…

Scorching the Palouse on the road to Lewiston, Idaho for the last time… for awhile…

Past the Town Hall in Uniontown, WA…

Until next time…Clearwater River, Idaho…

South on U.S. 95 in Idaho…

Past Riggins, Idaho making good time…

Junk food from a gas station in Riggins…

Canyon driving in Idaho…Ally and I saw a horrific accident shortly after this photo was taken…

Along the Salmon River…

We saw a lot of folks in watercraft on the river…

Coming down into Whitebird, Idaho…

North of Payette, Idaho heading into farmland and the flats…

Hops for brewing near the Idaho / Oregon border…

More farms … Oregon is a few short miles up the road…where the hills are , in the distance…

Right up there…

HERO and Ally take a break…

Ally’s rental “Rice Rocket”…amazingly, we stuffed a ton of luggage and stuff in there…

The great expanse of Eastern Oregon…

Owyhee River near Rome, Oregon…

As we entered Northern Nevada, the clouds and lighting were downright splendid…I took a bunch of photos all the way to Winnemucca…

More #2…

More #3…

More #4…

More #5…

 I made Ally stop the vehicle, about 60 miles North of Winnemucca, for this one…Thanks Ally !!!

The usual spot to spend the night…

Dinner !!!

…and for Allo, a cocktail which did not ward off the mosquitoes…

Cheese and Beef Burritos with the fixin’s and rice…Yummy…

6AM up and out …gas at the Mini-Mart…

Hero…ready to roll…

No…that’s my seat…

Pointed West and it is raining…

Walker Lake, just North of Hawthorne, Nevada…

Preppers delight …more ammo bunkers than anywhere else on Earth…

On Hwy. 6, approaching  the White Mountains in Western Nevada…

More of the White Mountains close to the California state line…

Americana…Benton Station, CA…

Almost to Bishop in the Chalfant Valley…

North of Bishop, near Five Bridges and the Lower Owens River…The Sierra in front…

Turn left…Here…

395 in Bishop and my favorite Mexican joint in the Sierra…

Big Pine…Lawd help us !!!

Lookout point for Tule Elk on the left and Charlie’s Butte  just ahead…pointy, black, shiny objects made from obsidian…

Worth the drive from Pullman…Frosty Chalet, Lone Pine, CA …

Lunch at Spainhower Park, creekside, in Lone Pine, CA…

Dogs with mustard, relish & onions…Rings too !!!

Back with this guy, in LA…

 

NEXT: Michael on the Metolius and Deschutes Rivers…

 

 

PT/TB

 

 

 

 

Jean Marie visits Pullman, The Red Shed, Lotsa’ Food and Elk River Reservoir again…

On July 15, Jean Marie flew up to Pullman, via Seattle, WA and Lewiston, ID  to spend some time with Ally, Michael, Hero, Nick and the old guy. Another trip down to the airport in Lewiston…

…and the now traditional stop at Starbucks after the airport…Ally, Jean Marie and Michael

…a drive along the left side Clearwater River going up towards Orofino, ID and The Red Shed Fly Shop…

…cross the bridge to the right side of the Clearwater River…

Michael, Jean Marie and Ally at steelhead Central in Peck, Idaho…

Lost in the aisle…with Spey Rods above…

Richard Wheatley Fly Boxes…most of the clip variety for Salmon and Steelhead fly patterns…

Family Fly Fishers lost in Nirvana…

More stuff for tying and the fly bins…

Ya’ won’t see this anywhere else…

Big Moo picked out a few bugs for his August trip to Oregon ( more on this trip to the Metolius River and Deschutes River… later )…

Pretty Barred Rhea for Steelhead Spey flies…

A few words of wisdom from Poppy…

Down the road to the Canyon Inn for lunch…

Sign between the restrooms…

Pop – Grilled Cheese, Big Moo – A  BLT…

A short drive back towards Lewiston to check out the flows on the Clearwater River…This is downriver…

Jean Marie strolls down the boat ramp…

This is upriver…

This particular day, it was cranking at 16,000cfs. – Flows here…Michael checks out the slippery, bowling ball rocks in the river…

Nobody is wading in there today…

Proof the Big MOO was here…

Wrap thy Steelhead…

Shadow and light on the drive from Lewiston to Pullman…

Dinner that evening at Pullman’s finest…The Black Cypress…

Indeed…

Those guys…

That look when one discovers that they are about to become a G-Ma for the first time…

Baby Bean Barker…arriving January 2020…

The following day, Ally and Jean Marie devote their day to shopping in Moscow, Idaho…

Thrift store Ally…

Big Moo and Ally… NOW …

Downtown Moscow, Idaho…don’t blink…

Big Moo and Ally… THEN…

Time to head back to Pullman and get those Lamb Chops that have been marinating…on the grill…Nick is Chief Chef…

HERO, Guardian Of The Lamb…

Ally, Guardian Of The Cabernet…

Chops and Greens on the Barbie…

Just about ready…

Jean Marie digs in… with mint jelly too…

The following morning we took Michael down to Lewiston so that he could return to NYC. On the way back, we drove from Lewiston to Moscow for an appointment I had at the Gritman Wound Care Center…pretty landscape I had not seen before…

That evening, we returned to Moscow, ID to dine at an Italian joint that I selected…Ally wanted this VW Van parked in front…

Maialina is one of the nicest restaurants I have been to since the old Villa Capri in Hollywood, CA back in the 50’s with my Dad and twin brother…

Part II…

Getting a good reaction here…

Ally says yesssssssss…

A salad…

Antipasto…

I was so hungry I could not wait for a photo…

The cappuccino was delish…

We left at dusk…

The next morning, we set off once again for Elk River…It was a bright sunny day…

Elk River, Idaho…

Getting busy real quick…

Hero takes a dip…

He gets real interested with the Trout…

Another Rainbow to the net…

One of the quaint buildings in Elk River, Idaho…

Back to the Huckleberry Heaven General Store for more goodies…

No whipped cream this time…

Back to Trout fishing…

Long shot of Elk River Reservoir with some old guy on a dock, way down there…

HERO, Ally and Jean Marie…

Loungers in the late afternoon…

Those guys from another perspective…

So Jean Marie said this was an eagle…

More Rainbow Trout…

Nick and Ally moved closer to where the river enters the reservoir and caught a few small Brookies…It was a productive day… we caught and released a lot of Trout…no Pumpkinseeds this time…

On the road back to Pullman…

 

 

NEXT: Down to LA…

 

 

PT/TB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIG MOO comes to PULLMAN…finally fishing in Elk River, Idaho (somewhat)…

Michael decided to fly out from NYC to visit us on July 13 to spend a few days with Ally, Nick, Hero and myself and to get me out on the water for the first time since my surgery back on May 15, 2019. His Mom, Jean Marie came up a few days later but those events will be saved for the next post…

Driving down to Lewiston, Idaho to pick Michael up at the airport…about a 40 minute drive from Pullman, WA…

Coming down the grade into Lewiston, Idaho…The Clearwater River joins the Snake River down there…

Michael, as usual, was hungry when he arrived so we headed over to Roosters Landing in Clarkston, on the Snake River for lunch…

Roosters has a collection of fishing related gear that has been used on the Snake River since people first arrived there…I took a lot of photos but will only post this one…

I split a burger with Moo…Mmmmmmm good !!!

The view of the Snake River from our table…

Big Moo has a craft brew…

While Ally has her traditional rabbit food…

A warning to parents who do not keep a watchful eye on their spawn…

After lunch, a brief stroll for photos…

The old guy with Ally & Nick…

A visit to the local Albertson’s in Lewiston to pick up lamb chops to BBQ when Jean Marie arrives…The only place I have seen those chops in the immediate area…

Can’t make a visit to Lewiston without hitting The North 40 Outfitters mega store…

Driveway Pork Chop BBQ in Pullman, WA…👍 Nick !!!

Oh yeah !!!

Big MOO chilling…

Dart gurl Ally …

HERO taking it all in…knowing that the next day will be a busy trip tp Elk River, Idaho…

Up early on Sunday morning and on our way to Elk River Reservoir … This is just East of Moscow, Idaho…

Coming into Deary, Idaho…

Entering the sprawling metropolis of Elk River, Idaho…

This is the place…

Setting up the gear…and yes, we used spinning rods and the fly & bubble technique, ’cause this old geezer ain’t quite ready to toss streamers with a fly rod (yet) and this allows for the maximum amount of stillwater coverage…

This platform / dock works for a start…only Pumpkinseeds caught here…no Trout…

PLOP !!!

Moved to another casting location and was rewarded with this guy…

Ally, Nick and HERO decide to engage the Trout with their stealth watercraft. Nick works at one of the world’s largest suppliers of whitewater boating equipment in Moscow, Idaho (NRS) and this is one of their products…how convenient…

Haul that puppy in and stash it on the Landcruiser’s roof for a lunch run to Elk River…

This place is to die for…Huckleberry Heaven Lodge & General Store…

Smiling faces with the goods…

Cone…

…or shake…It’s delish !!!

Back on the water…Hot Spot Conehead Seal Buggers were the ticket…

These…

…or the colorful, gaudy ones…ALL worked !!!

Fast or slow retrieve with twitches…

…and BANG …

Nice shot by Big Moo from the raft…

Another Rainbow…This link, to the State of Idaho, provides a wealth of information on this water…

Working from the deadfall back to the dock proved to the most consistent and successful retrieve…

Michael and I hooked up together quite a few times…ALL the Trout were released…

This is the far end of the reservoir, at the dam. Fishing here was exclusively Pumpkinseeds…

HERO on alert for those devil-ish Pumpkinseeds…

We retuned to the other side of the reservoir and continued to catch Trout. This was Michael’s and the last of the day. We really had a great time and it was just gratefully good to be out on the water, once again…

 

 

NEXT: Jean Marie visits us in Pullman, The Red Shed, lotsa’ food and back to Elk River…

 

 

PT/TB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Spokane for a biopsy, Big Moo on the Au Sable, Ally, Nick and HERO at Lost Lake, ID…

The last of June saw Ally driving me up to Spokane, Washington to have a biopsy completed on my left kidney…visits to the Au Sable River by Michael and Aimee and over to Lost Lake, Idaho for the Pullman crew…

Short drive that took a long time because of road work and rainy weather…

The biopsy was uneventful ( by that I mean I didn’t launch ten feet into the air when the long needle was inserted into my left side ) and then the sun came out for the return drive to Pullman…This was a barn I photographed near Steptoe, WA decked out for the 4th of July…

A brief stop at Eddy’s in Colfax, WA to pick up Chinese grub for dinner…

On July 3, Michael and Aimee went to Wilmington, NY to try their luck on the Au Sable River. Michael chows down at the The Hungry Trout Resort and Restaurant before the evening rise…

Working a run ,the next day on the Au Sable…

Brown reward…

More Au Sable water…

A Rainbow …

Meanwhile, Ally, Nick and HERO headed over to Lost Lake, near Avery, Idaho to camp and do some stillwater fishing…

HERO checks out the St. Joe River for future visitation…

They have arrived at Lost Lake after some nasty 4X4 driving and a hike…

Ally and HERO goofing off in their watercraft…

Callibaetis spinners on Ally’s sweater…

HERO and Nick, on the edge…

 

 

Next: Big Moo visits Pullman, in mid-July, with much good food involved and fishes Elk River Reservoir…

 

 

PT/TB