Sunday, August 30, 2009

No Reservations...

Anthony Bourdain does it Montana style tomorrow night a 7:00 pm on the Travel channel.

The Youtubes previews of this soiree look mighty inviting.

Enjoy!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Delaware River Threat!

Siphon Hydroelectric Dams are being pursued by NYC!




Daily Gazette
Thursday, August 27, 2009
MORGAN LYLE

Power plant licensing process open to comment. What happens in the next two weeks may determine whether the public gets a say in New York City’s plan to build hydro power plants at its reservoirs on the east and west branches of the Delaware River and the Neversink River.

New York City announced Aug. 13 it will seek a federal license to install power plants at its water supply reservoir dams in the Catskills. The announcement started a 30-day window for public comments on whether the city gets to use the “traditional” licensing process or the “integrated” one.

The difference is crucial. In an “integrated”licensing process, the city would have to conduct studies of the impact of the hydro plants, similar to those required under New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act. In a “trad­itional” licensing, the city would be under no such obligation–and the “traditional” approach is the one it wants.

The last time New York City talked about putting turbines on the state’s best trout rivers, back in the 1970s, it was “swarmed” by envir­onmentalists who defeated the plan, said Greg Starheim, chief executive officer of the Delaware County Electric Cooperative. The non-profit cooperative declared its own interest in installing hydro power plants at the Catskill reservoirs in June 2008, but the city then filed a competing application and won the right to apply for the license from the federal government. “The approach that the city is taking envir­onmentally is very different from ours, and we think they’re running right into the same situation they did in the ’70s, with little regard for fish and wildlife,” Starheim said. “As they go through the licensing process, they’re going to get crucified, and rightly so. ”It’s not clear whether the city really even wants to build and operate power plants.

Sen. Charles Schumer says it doesn’t, and has urged the city to let the electric cooperative proceed with its plan. Starheim said he thinks the city acted “in part to block us from doing this.” The city isn’t answering questions and has only issued a statement saying it “continues to work closely with DCEC. ”What is clear, however, is that New York City has been granted an official permit by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to apply for a license to operate power plants on blue-ribbon trout rivers, and wants permission to avoid any serious scrutiny in the process. Until it says otherwise, we should assume it means business.

The process for electronically filing comments to the FERC requires that you go to http://www.ferc.gov/, click “For Citizens,” then click “Get Involved.” You can postal mail a comment toOffice of the Secretary, Federal Energy Regul­atory Commission, 888 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20426. Refer to “West of HudsonHydroelectric Project, Project No. 13287” in your correspondence.

Unlike the city, the DEC is willing to candidly discuss its plans, and says it welcomes a thorough environmental review. Starheim said flows from the Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink reservoirs would continue to be governed, as they are now, by the Delaware River Basin Commission, which has voting members from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York City. The flows would not be altered for the purpose of generating power.

Starheim acknowledged, however, that the DEC’s plan to bring water over the dams in siphons could introduce water that is warmer than what is currently released from penstocks at the bottoms of the dams themselves. The cold water from the dams is essential for the high-quality trout habitat of the Catskill tailwaters. “I’m not at all discounting that in a pure siphon approach, there would be warmer water coming over the dam,” Starheim said. “There needs to be some kind of combination here, and you don’t have the answer until you do the licensing study.”

Friday, August 28, 2009

Friday Bacon!

This Friday we present a special edition of the Friday Bacon:

The story of Curli...

At an early age it became obvious that Curli was no ordinary bambino, he had already displayed an un-natural affinity for that universal condiment we all know and love, bacon.
Here's an early photo of the neighborhood boys, thats Curli on the right, getting their class photos. They were so cute, weren't they.
Here's Curli hard at work in the lab...
developing this wonderful new odorizing spray.
Not sure why this is here, it is just, well, disturbing.




Monday, August 24, 2009

How did I miss this one?

Roscoe, Ny makes #3 and State College, PA is #4 on the list of top Trout Towns!

Found on Forbes http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/19/trout-fishing-trips-lifestyle-sports-fly-fishing_slide_2.html?thisspeed=25000

Gettin' you there, Jet Style!

The water jet propelled Mokai was created to address the need for a shallow draft watercraft that allows fishermen, hunters and Minions a way to access to those hard to reach upstream or shallow area locations. The Mokai is lightweight, durable, easy to transport, environmentally friendly and fuel efficient.

A unique combination hull and Honda four stroke engine, connected to a jet pump propulsion system create the formidable assault craft that is the Mokai. It is simple enough for even Minion users, without specialized mechanical skills, to assemble or disassemble the major systems of the craft in less than a minute, without any tools!

Constructed of high impact polyethylene, using a rotomolding process, the one piece hull is lightweight yet durable enough to withstand scratches and impact from river rocks.
The 3 gallon fuel tank will provide up to 8 hours of motoring from honey hole to honey hole.

All of this gloriousness + 2 year warranty can be yours for the low, low price of $3,450 plus shipping.

Fly Fishing Mokai:

Hunting Mokai:

Available via: www.mokai.com

And yes JohnO, you can get it in Bright Yellow too...

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Big Day!

Hoping to see this as the cake topper...
on a bacon awesomeness wedding cake!
Good luck and best wishes for a loving and long marriage, you crazy kids!

Upcoming "Minion Approved" Holiday

September 5th, 2009 is International Bacon Day!
I got so excited I forgot to post the Friday Bacon on Friday.
To help put you in the proper frame of mind, I humbly submit the following:

Would you drive off a cliff to get to the bacon?

Would you slather yourself in the wholesome goodness that is bacon in order to attract like minded members of the opposite sex?

Do you adorn yourself with iconic images of our strange cult to better identify yourself to other members?

If you even thought, hmmm, maybe?, you too are a hopeless, twisted bacon clown.

Revel in it!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Reel Eye Candy

Custom reels to drool over.A new Paradigm.
Ari Hart them.

Prosek's Abel.
America's Cup Abel.
Logan Reels, bet you haven't seen this one.
Hatch Reels engraved masterpieces.

A tie dyed Ross.
Derek DeYoung's series of Abels available at www.canvasfish.com




Finally, something to keep them in.


Monday, August 17, 2009

Donny is selling his Yampa Holdings

This is the guy you need to talk to; Realtor Brian Smith
514-acre prime angling spot lists for $28M
Ranch on the Yampa River is part of private river club
By Tom Ross
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Courtesy of: steamboatpilot

Two miles of river wind through hay meadows and along rock outcroppings at Yampa Tailwaters Preserve, which is listed for sale at $28 million.

Steamboat Springs — One of the best angling spots on the Yampa River is back on the market for $28 million — and just 22 months after it sold for $19.4 million.

Realtor Brian Smith, of Hall & Hall, has co-listed the Yampa Tailwaters Preserve 514-acre ranch with Randall Hannaway, of Colorado Group Realty. The listing is on behalf of Alpine River Club and investors in a private fishing operation. The property straddles the Yampa River where it pours out of the Catamount Dam, about seven miles south of Steamboat Springs.

The ranch formerly was known as the Norton “Gonk” Jacobs/More Family Ranch.
“There’s just nothing else on the market (in the Mountain West) like this,” Smith said.
The combination of proximity to airports and a developed ski resort, while still offering a secluded private trophy trout stream 10 minutes from the ski gondola, makes Tailwaters Preserve unique, Smith said.

Ironically, it’s the dam that allows that two-mile stretch of the Yampa upstream from the Colorado Highway 131 bridge to grow trophy rainbow trout. The term ‘tailwater’ is applied to a stream flowing out of a dam. The result is, the water temperature stays relatively consistent year-round, allowing the cold-blooded fish to feed throughout the winter and allowing fly fishers to pursue them with dry flies, even in the depths of winter.

The year-round angling is what attracted Alpine River Club operator Donny Beaver. Among the investors are Hank Wilton, who is the principal in the proposed 360 Village development west of Steamboat and has other development interests in Steamboat.

Hannaway, who has worked with Wilton on other developments, said about half of the buying group is people interested in the fishing and half is people interested in a joint venture to bring about light development on the site.

“The plan was never for a long-term hold,” Hannaway said. “The premise is clearly for a legacy property. The climate isn’t ideal for any development in and around Steamboat, or anywhere in the country for that matter.”

Also taking an equity stake in the project were brothers Jarett and John Duty, of Bucking Rainbow Outfitters, an Orvis-affiliated fly shop in Steamboat.

Alpine River Club was es­­tablished in Vail in 2007. It is an adjunct to the established Spring Ridge Club near College Station, Pa.

The business model for the current owners is not to develop real estate but to sell fishing memberships allowing members access to a variety of exclusive trout-fishing waters, a representative said in March 2008. The initial fee is $85,000, and annual dues were set at $7,700 in March 2008. The majority of the members also hired fishing guides to accompany them on outings.

Smith said the current owners think they can tie up more miles of trout stream on behalf of their members by selling Tailwaters Preserve and using the proceeds to acquire less expensive properties.

“They had a lot of equity in one property, and selling it would allow them to acquire other properties for their portfolio,” he said.

John Duty said fishing guides af­­filiated with his shop actively have been taking clients to Tailwaters Preserve this summer, and the ownership group is testing the market. He said he and his brother largely are spectators when it comes to the sale process.

Smith said the $8.6 million gap between the 2007 selling price and the current asking price can be explained in part by the fact the current owners had the property under contract, after a couple of extensions, for two years at a time when Routt County property values soared. The property previously had been under contract once and fallen out before the Alpine River Club group tied it up.

“I think it was a pretty good value for a property that is both unique and very appealing,” Smith said.

Comparables are difficult to find, he said, but he points to the July 2008 sale of 27.3 acres along the Frying Pan River near Basalt for $12 million (almost $439,000 per acre). Like the Yampa River listing, the one-mile of the Frying Pan within the property is a tailwater flowing out of Ruedi Reservoir and has large populations of trout.

Smith said he showed the property twice in July and has a showing scheduled this week.
He doesn’t ex­­pect that the likely buyer will be a real estate developer.

“It’s all about fishing. The speculators and developers are pretty absent from the market right now,” he said. “They’re occupied with marketing what they already have.”

Instead, the buyers are likely to be avid fishermen who value the undisturbed nature of the property, he said. They might build a few secluded houses, he guessed, but wouldn’t be likely to be developers seeking to maximize the development potential.

This is the stuff you find when you search the interwebs for "fly fishing PA 2009"

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Trouts 1, Obama 0

President Obama throws a loop.
The Comander In Chief celebrates a hook up?
POTUS's flayfishing entourage.
Looks like our Chief Executive has Minions as well. I'll bet those guys can lay down a mean slap and tickle!
Photos courtesy of The Baltimore Sun.

"The Obama visit was billed by the White House as a private visit, and sure enough there was no photo ops,(looks like there were in fact a few photo ops.), or meetings with Yellowstone visitors. Obama spent Friday afternoon fly-fishing at O'Dell Creek (over by Ennis) with press secretary Robert Gibbs and White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, a Montana native. The president came up empty after a few strikes, but Gibbs and Messina both landed two rainbow trout. By contrast, First Lady Michelle Obama and the Obama's two daughters chose to raft down a secluded river in the area." Yellowstone Insider

Try the WB next time Mr. President. We'll be happy to see you and get you into some monster browns.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Saturday Sillies!


Paul & Tom review the effectiveness of traditional fishing techniques.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Minion Associate shames us!

Tastefully submitted by a proud Minion Associate from the Southeast...

Random oldtimey beer advert. There once was truth in advertising.
A tasteful sticker for affixing to your stuffs.

A fantastical recipe for samich goodness.

A local license plate I have somehow missed.

There really is a pot of "gold" at the end of the rainbow...

Minions, I am most disappointed in your 99 pound weakling contributions to Friday Bacon.
Man up gentlemen!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009


Kilts and guns does it get any better.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Friday Bacon :-(

Not all is happy and well in Baconland, will explain in person this weekend.

Back to the goods.

The Japanese Bacon Lovers have apparently one upped us in this weekend.




Wouldn't you like to get your hands on one of these?

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Dudes puttin' it down!



These two guys were putting the smack down on YOUR trouts on the 28th.

Where were you?

Someone needs to apply the old "slap & tickle."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt5Hh-z5Kas

And for a quick tutorial on the right fly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWhdcn1PZxo

Enjoy, enjoy, the great Pennsylvania trouts in all their glory.