Panamanian Angel

Photo courtesy of Stam

From Panama, Rogue Angel Vanessa shows off Pez Gallo Grande.
Apparently she has the fishing bug bad now and with photos like these, I am itching for Mexico. Thanks Angel!

Jumping Fish Addition

Two more additions to the Jumping Fish Slideshow:
My brother with a 60 pound tarpon:

Dear 'sa'.

Your stupid comments in another language linking to your porn sites are a waste of my time, keep it up and I will hunt you down you slimey coward.
-k8

Loop Reels

Rogue Angel Leah shows off her new Loop Multi reel.
Go to Loop Fly Fishing USA for great deals on Loop tackle,
use this code, 6431534047 to receive a 10% off discount when checking out.

Fly Tying

Sometimes when you tie one up, you can just feel its mojo.
Rogue Angel Leah with a sweet steelhead fly she tied:

Alaska Photos

Here are a couple cool shots from Alaska this past fall:

Leaping Fish

There's something about a fish jumping.

I am always grateful if I got to see a fish when it jumped out of the water before spitting my line. And I always secretly hope it will jump during the fight. Their sheer power and determination rocketing out of the water brings the best of smiles to my face.
At times it seems that it is just enough.

This summer while guiding in Alaska, I began to document fish jumping...mostly Rainbows, but some Dolly Varden, and although these photos are not excellent quality-I plan to get better next year. Enjoy the slideshow:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Solo Fish

(In regards to yesterday's post)
Mind you there is a beauty in fishing solo. Good for the soul, heart, mind, whatever....there is much to be said for it. Here is a beauty I happened upon one solo afternoon:

With a Little Help From Your Friends.

I hear often fishing is a solitary sport. I beg to differ.

I don't care who you are or what you say. You didn't learn to fish all by your little lonesome. Whether you read magazines, books, forums, or were lucky enough to stumble into mentors, people influenced how you got to be the fisherman you are today. And for the rest of your life, you will be learning from others (unless you already know everything, jerk).

And then what about fishing trips? Sure we have taken solitare journeys to chase fish, but you KNOW how much more fun they are with buddies in tow....laughing at you when you fall in. Where would Fat Guy Fly Fishing be if it were just one big guy? (okay, it probably would still be funny, but let's face it- not as much fun.)

So either your buddy brags up his crazy new fly he tied or random fisherman passes you the fly that they are biting on and damn! you just got lucky with the fishes...with a little help from your friends.

This fall I found myself reefing on a nice steelhead soon after my friend, Tim Pask passed me one of his flies. Oftentimes steelhead are truly a team effort as was this one documented below with some excellent photography skills by Tim.

Hooked Up:


The Hero Shot:


The Release:

L’union fait la force (Unity is strength)

Having been bombarded with terrible horrifying news of the disaster in Haiti, I was forwarded this email by my niece, Meredith. Please check out the ONE blog for more information.
Let your compassion and humanity shine.


Dear ONE Member,

I was at a conference on Capitol Hill yesterday when I heard the news of Haiti’s earthquake. My heart sank as I thought of my aunts, uncles and cousins who still reside in Haiti. Before I learned the extent of the earthquake, I was already in a state of despair. Having an intimate knowledge of Haiti’s history, I knew that the lack of infrastructure, disaster preparedness and acute poverty would make a bad situation even worse. However, I was not prepared for the long night of waiting to hear which of my loved ones made it, and which didn’t. Along with horrific television images, the morning brought news that my Aunt and Uncle Duchatelier are alive, but their home, and the primary school they built collapsed and all they owned is destroyed. As I wait, pray and hope for the safety of other family members that I have yet to hear from, I am struck with the realization that Haiti’s long struggle against poverty is now exacerbated, its needs now magnified, and the vulnerability of the Haitian people more greatly exposed.

As we continue to hear about the devastation that the powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused, our thoughts go out to the victims of this disaster and those who are working to help the nation recover.

Disasters like this one are especially devastating when they strike places that are already struggling to provide the most basic of services for its population. With weak government and private sector institutions, and with uncertain security conditions, Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and the majority of Haitians live in poverty. The sheer scale of poverty in the country means that the government has limited capacity to meet even the simplest needs of its people, let alone address a disaster of this magnitude. Haiti’s lack of development—which translates into a lack of government capacity for emergency preparedness—magnifies the impact of this tragedy. In addition to creating a very real and immediate humanitarian tragedy, this earthquake and the struggle to navigate its aftermath will be an enormous setback to the hard-won gains that Haiti has achieved in recent years in securing a more stable environment and fighting poverty.

While disaster preparedness and long-term development initiatives may seem to fall at opposite ends of the development spectrum, they are in fact profoundly connected. Disaster preparedness plays a crucial role in the fight against poverty. Without it, gains against poverty are physically erased, and post-disaster countries face insurmountable challenges in getting back on track to meet their development goals. In Haiti, once the immediate disaster is addressed, it will be an uphill battle to return to its former state of development, let alone make further gains.

This situation demonstrates how investments in long-term development, especially in fragile and disaster-prone states like Haiti, could help countries deal with disasters, and also keep them on track to develop.

In spite of this disaster, a great aspect of Haitian history tells us the Haitian people are resilient and determined to better their lives. I am confident that with the help of strong partners around the world, Haiti will rise from its rubble and Haitians will live their motto: L’union fait la force (Unity is strength).

We encourage you to read more and stay engaged on the ONE Blog:

http://www.one.org/blog/category/earthquake-in-haiti/?aux=27&id=1390-4469086-l8ohOGx&t=1

Thank you,

Keren Dongo
Community Engagement Manager, ONE

Slab of the Month

Rogue Angel Caitlin is up for Moldy Chum's December Slab of the Month for landing this big monster:



So HURRY UP get on over there and vote for this angel, she needs our support!
(Click HERE and Look in the left sidebar, click on BC Steel and hit VOTE at the bottom)

Teach Your Children Well

Michael Dickson, proud father of a young angel sent us these great action shots of Rogue Angel Kaitlyn fishing:



Kaitlyn's first fish caught with a fly and her very cool hero shot:



Releasing her catch:



Strong work little angel! We hope to see more of you!

Rising Ultralight Pliers

I've known Dylan and Bam, owners of Rising Fishing Tools since my days of working in the fishing and hunting store in Bellingham, Wa. I was always excited to place an order so I could get to know them better. Truly great people and fun loving, their enthusiasm in whatever they do is contagious.
I religiously use their pliers and nippers, so I've kept in touch with them through the years sending on photos of their tools or gear in action. (I even have a pair in the kitchen and opened a stuck lid with them yesterday.) So last year when I caught the biggest steelhead of my life sporting my Rising rain jacket, I naturally sent Dylan and Bam a photo of my success. Little did I know that it would turn into something more to be proud of.....my photo on their packaging! How cool is that? I believe in these pliers and they believe in me enough to stuff me in the package with the pliers! I'm stoked!

El Atardecer

Rogue Angel Sonya and Steel

Me and Leah

You know what I like about Leah?
EVERYTHING.

She's Gone Country

Once a city girl, Rogue Angel Lorraine now finds solace knee deep in the river. From Colorado to Montana, this angel can and has put the wood to some nice browns. Now working on her grad degree in Washington, D.C. it seems she will be searching for new stomping grounds to rope beautiful trout. We hope to see more trout from this angel!




Special thanks to Brian, Rogue Angel Lorraine's greatest admirer.

Ahem...Hi Again.

Its not that I am slacking, it is just that there are so many things to do finding time to spattle on the interwebs has taken a bit of a back burner lately. Now I am back in Oregon after the holidays in Washington, a stellar hunting trip to see the family in Virginia, and a witchy little excursion to DC and Baltimore. Before that, I spent three weeks in Beautiful British Columbia fishing and getting the guiding skunk off after four and a half months in Bristol Bay, Alaska. I think it is imperative to spend a significant amount of time fishing after a long guiding stint just to rewire back to fishing for yourself....maybe it is a bit like reprogramming or updating your computer. Investing in fishing for yourself sets you back in your waders upright.
Now I find myself back home eating deer meat and smoked salmon, trying to figure out how to start writing again and updating the Rogue Angels blog.

So you say you wanna help? If you would like to send me photos of your angelic self or photos of a Rogue Angel in your life fishing and/or hunting that could help my inspiration. If you are really inspired, feel free to write something. I will gladly post on the blog in between me finding my voice again. email: rogueangels@gmail.com

In the meantime, here's one of me letting go during my BC fishing trip:

The Barn...

...Important business goes on inside these walls. You'll find the Taylor Farm Hunt Journal stashed in the dusty corner, the white wicker "Deer Hunter" chair, and several different kinds of bourbon. You'll get dressed out here in your hunting clothes, so leave your muddy boots and dirty stinky bloody coveralls on the hat tree. Prop your rifle along the nails in the side of the work bench. Grab Dad a beer when you get one and pull up a chair-just not the deer hunter chair, there's some stories to tell.

When God Fearin' Women Get the Blues