Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #15
|
Helen, you do realize you wrote: “This lovely piece of eye candy is what I’ve been doing lately. My “project”. He is lovely Helen, and this may explain the lack of actual climbing. You go girl! He’s very cute. |
|
Back East now, this was the last day of my two week trip out west. Great remote bouldering. V6 ish.   |
|
Drank some wine and managed to stick this dyno off the left hand mono pocket. Back to reality and the once per week alcohol austerity plan.  |
Guy Keeseewrote: WAIT! What's this fly fishing thing? First Bob, now you, Jan... is this another requirement for climbers? I cannot keep up.... |
 Me and my "come hither" look. |
|
Once upon a time, I built a display for a case in the Idaho statehouse, for the Fish part of Idaho department of Fish & Game. It was an underwater scene, including taxidermy mounts they supplied. I had a Nissan king cab pickup back then. The day came to pick up the fish. The smaller two, went in the back seat. But the third? It just fit the pickup part, regular small pickup bed. Diagonally, and stuck up some above the sides. Not wrapped or anything at all. It was the state record steelhead. Driving through town, going through a drive through for lunch, I got honks, grins, thumbs up like mad, yelled comments. I probably could've hooked up with a hefty percentage of Boise that day! Later? Installing it at the Statehouse? That meant walking from where I parked, cradling the big guy in my arms, down the street, through the Statehouse... More of the same. And? A nice conversation with an awed governor when we crossed paths on the stairs. That's my big fish story! Its even true!! Best, Helen |
Old lady Hwrote: It's interesting what attracts men. When I lived in Somerville, MA I thought the easiest way to meet men would be to lift the hood of your car and stare in at the engine. |
wendy weisswrote: Lol! Considering it's Boise, where people fly fish downtown? It wasn't just men. ;-) |
Ward Smithwrote: Great tactic! A long time ago, when Timmy Fairfield returned from France (where he actually won a bouldering World Cup) with his new French wife, he told us that he would drink two glasses of red wine before a comp to settle the nerves. I immediately adopted this technique, and the results in my very brief and very amateur comp career took a leap forward. Unfortunately, now that I’m old and decrepit, 2 glasses of red=instant hangover. |
|
Jan once took my wife fishing. She had never fish before so Jan set her up & showed her how to cast. A few of us went for a walk on the creek & when we came back about an hour later she was casting in the most perfect form. When I came over to her she was so happy & casting away, then I noticed she had no hook on the line. She quickly said, " Don't tell Jan, I really like this fishing, but I don't want to hurt anything so I cut off the hook". It is a pleasure to go fishing with Jan & Guy, I just don't fish. |
Ward Smithwrote: My typical evening consumption involves a big salad for dinner, followed by a huge cup of herb tea. But then I'll often have a craving for something like a glass of wine. Something cold and refreshing. This year I discovered ginger beer (non-alcoholic despite the name), diet, so no calories. I make myself a mocktail with ginger beer and an ounce of apricot nectar. It's so satisfying! I also discovered Fick's Premium cocktail mix, Moscow Mule version. Also has ginger but also Lime juice. Also very low calorie and makes a great mocktail. |
|
Well, I'm not a fisherman, as the following story will confirm, but I have spent time fishing in the Wind Rivers to supplement the freeze-dried diet and to have a rest-day activity in addition to photography. Being not a fisherman, I bought a telescoping spinning rod that was light and, when folded, fit easily in my pack, and a silver fish lure or two. And I caught fish with this rig some of the time, but then there were other times... So one morning I head out to a small pond in the stream with my deplorable rig. As I'm unfolding it and getting ready, I become aware of a figure crouching low behind some weeds not far away, and soon there is the swish-swishing of a proper fisherman casting with a proper pole with proper flies. I figure the pond is big enough for two and all I want is some fish for breakfast, so I go on with my preparations and get ready to cast 'n spin. Well, I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to proper rod assembly, because when I give my first heave, the rod flies apart into all its individual sections, which land with separate and substantial splashes all across the pond, sending every trout in the vicinity to Montana and Idaho. And now I hear the dulcet tones of someone crouching behind the reeds, cursing and mumbling and generally expressing impolite characterizations of my existence in general and my presence at the pond in particular. And so, suitably chastised, I retreated in dishonor from the field of battle and consumed my punishment, the freeze-dried breakfast I had hoped to improve. I should add that at no time did any woman, and I sadly have to include my partner on this trip, give any indication that my fishing, such as it was, did anything to enhance my attractiveness, although a certain amount of amusement, the kind only ineptness can provide, did seem to momentarily brighten their day. |
|
Bob- nice Salmon! This year? Lori- you might just like Fly Fishing. Unlike bait fishing- ocean or fresh water- one must become one with the Trout. My grandpa started taking me and my cousin fishing when we were 5 - he had 4 daughters. I was the first grandson my cousin was the second. So we were his sons as it were. Walt loved to hunt and fish in his youth, growing up in NE Nebraska, he did both. Coming to CA in the depression and owning a small company- that became a bigger co during WW2- kept him pretty busy. Vacation time was always spent in the Sierra- Trout fishing. So you might say I was born into it. I knew Jan was a FF man so I asked him to show me. He did and it cost him big time- I managed to destroy two “rods” - NOT POLES- and spilled a box of about 250 flies into a creek! Through it all Jan only smiled and said “shit happens” FF is very different than slinging bait. Wild Trout are hard to catch. One needs to study what is going on in the creek, in the bushes, on the bottom. About 2 years into it I had a break though day. Catching nothing I sat down and watched a section of “Taylor Creek” - that’s by Church Domes- a place I highly recommend. Anyway just sitting there I noticed the Trout would come out of hiding and start feeding. If I stood up, or even moved my Rod, they would scatter and hide for 20-30 minutes. If the line goes over them they scatter- your fly hits the water hard - they scatter. While watching this I noticed that a yellow colored flying insect would send some time in the grass along the creek then hit the water and float along (lying eggs) most of the time a Golden-Rainbow hybrid would rush over and eat it. So I looked in the selection of flies I had, picked out a yellow thing with wings and I instantly was catching Trout. As long as I didn’t cast a shadow or wave my rod over them or cast over them it was good. A whole bunch of stuff to learn. Much like climbing it’s challenging and harder than it looks.  |
|
I have to humble-brag on one of my climbing partners (I almost have to say former climbing partner since all she does is fish now!!) She has always been into fly fishing, but the past few years has discovered Flyathlon which is like a triathlon except sounds like a hell of a lot more fun - Run-Fish-Beer (and sometimes Shoot if a tiebreak is required). So my friend is a pretty decent runner, but her superpower is in her fishing, so she frequently does pretty well at these events. The idea is you have to run, with your fishing gear, and when you catch a fish you photograph it on your bib (which conveniently has a ruler printed on it), before releasing it. The combined fastest running time and largest fish wins. No fish = time penalties. https://www.runningrivers.org/flyathlon.html So last fall, my friend became the 1st ever Troutwoman (1st female athlete) to complete the Troutman challenge which consists of: 1) Running at least a trail marathon (26.2 miles or more)… she ran 28 miles She is a complete badass, and her flyathlon stories are ridiculously funny. But I do really miss climbing with her! |
|
Guy, what you say about fly fishing is so true. My husband used to fly fish. I decided against taking up a sport that would demonstrate that a fish is smarter than I am. (Note: sitting here wasting time while I wait to be snowed in.) |
|
Some very amusing stories today! Guy, you will appreciate this flyfishing story. Many years ago we took a friend, a flyfishing guide, into the ORG. This was very early on after the river started to have a lot more water in it, due to a successful lawsuit from CalTrout and others against DWP. We had seen a couple of fishing people starting to come down into the Gorge so we told our friend Mike he might like to check it out. My husband had never fished so Mike was going to show him a bit about it. I remember standing in the area around the log that crossed over to Warning Signs and watching Mike cast, and pull up a fish, cast and pull up a fish etc. Big beautiful brown trout (so he said, it could have been a great white shark for all I knew). We went up to Warning Signs and Mike and his girlfriend stayed at the river to fish. Later on, Mike said they were super easy "too easy" to catch. Apparently since fishing was new to the area, the fish weren't very wiley yet. Despite his pronouncement, neither my husband nor Mike's girlfriend were able to catch a fish. |
|
I've also been trout fishing since I was 4 or 5. Sometime in my early 20s I was fishing the upper Sacramento River, above Lake Shasta, and caught a few but then sat and watched a guy flyfishing catch many fish in an hour or so. I started fly fishing that year. I seem to have a knack for knowing where fish are and have developed the skills to actually catch them. I might have the weirdest casting style but it is highly effective. I love spending the effort to walk into someplace that not many others fish and having fun catching one after the other. I let them go of course. I always figure 100 fish days are more fun than 10 fish days. I've never been one to hunt big fish like Bob. And it is about being out in nature as much as it is catching fish. Guy and I go fishing together but rarely actually fish together. He learned early on that if you follow another fly fisherman you don't catch many fish and I walk and fish a lot faster than he does. Now days we walk for a while and then he goes one way and I go another. We meet back at the car for beers in the late afternoon. |
|
And Mark, you might actually enjoy fishing now that you have 'settled into your retirement'. Hell, you live in one of the best places to fish from so it is a shame that you don't fish. I just don't think pulling weeds in the backyard is anywhere near as much fun. |
|
Good fishing stories all!  Have fun |
|
Walking any creek is better than weeding. Braking the Tractor has been a lot of fun. Brandon has been having a lot of fun down here in Bishop creek. He can be fishing after a long two minute walk from his house. I really would rather watch you guys fish. |
