Just installed Starlink’s signal receiver (called “Dishy”). We now have high-speed internet at Trouthaven. Streaming TV and Movies is as good (or maybe better) than our Spectrum cable. Our cell phone reception is crystal clear and stable.
Out here at Trouthaven, we do not believe in, or practice, “roughing it”.
This post provides the rationale behind the five supplements that I take to prevent infection by the SARS-Cov-2 virus and its associated disease, COVID-19. If you’re interested in starting a protocol like this do not do so without letting your physician know what you’re doing. By way of background, this protocol is largely derived a protocol described and used by Roger Seheult MD, an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the UCal, Riverside School of Medicine. He describes the protocol in some detail here.
As an aside, like Dr. Seheult, I have substituted Quercetin for Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) because the former is available over the counter. For an in-depth and largely technical review of Quercetin (and Vitamin C as a proposed prophylact and treatment for COVID-19 you should read this review article in Frontiers in Immunology.
Our Cabin at Trouthaven (July, 2018)
Aren’t neighbors swell? Received this bill for services rendered this afternoon. You’ll agree that services such as these are indicative of kindness and charity toward neighbors. However, my only complaint is the clearing of stream-bed objects that snag flies. It’s important to note that I KNOW each object’s location (and I may have even put them there) – hence my huge collection of salmon-flies, wooly-buggers, rubber legged nymphs of sundry varieties.
As Andy correctly estimates, these accumulate hundreds, may thousands, of dollars of flies. Flies that are now no longer available for harvesting. Given this loss, I think we may be able to reach an accomodation. More imporantly, wine, Bulleit bourbon, and good company will surely lead to some agreement on this matter.
Here’s Andy’s letter in full:
Dear Mr Peterson,
We have took it upon ourselves to prepare your Rock Creek fishing beat for your upcoming arrival. Therefore the following bill is being passed on for your remittance at your earliest convenience. We are sure that all of our grueling work will be up to your standards!
1- stream bed branch removal. This was done to save you hundreds of dollars in fancy fish catching flies throughout the season. We feel that $50 is more than fair for this service.
2-whitefish relocation. We painstakingly caught and moved (typically 5 to 10 feet from original location) close to a dozen pesky whitefish from the beat. This service is typically $10 per fish, but due to the amazing weather, we will only charge $8 per fish.
3-trout count / size survey. We also took the time to catch, count, and acquire an approximate size on as many trout as possible. We figure that this was an integral part of maintaining a healthy beat, so the cost reflects at $150, but due to the nice weather, we are only billing $100.
We look forward to meeting up with you as soon as you land at the creek to receive payment, and possibly drink some red wine!
Sincerely,
Your fishy friend,
Andy
PRO TIP 1: qlways move upstream when fishing. Fish ALWAYS face into the current so when you move upstream they are not as likely to sense your presence.
PRO TIP 2: the fish are all over the place. There is usually no need to wade to the middle of the river. The exception to this rule is when you are hunting fish. This is my preferred method of fishing. I’ll sit and watch the river till I see a trout rise then stalk to within casting range. I only move out into the middle when necessary to reach a rising fish.
PRO TIP 3: Look for lines of bubbles on the surface. These signal the presence of a current seam and the fish will hang in the water on the slower side of the seam only moving across the seam into the faster water when food (or your fly!) drifts by. So, fish the fast water along the seam by putting your fly as close to the bubbles (on the fast side) as you can.
PRO TIP 4: ignore deep water unless you see fish rising. Instead, fish the edges of the deep water where the bottom drops off. Feeding fish like to say close to the bottom where the Osprey can’t see them. The edges of the deep water allows them to stay close to the bottom, close to the surface, with a quick escape to the deep water when you come sloshing by.
PRO TIP 5: here’s how to spot feeding trout. Look into the water and focus your eyes on the bottom. Keep staring at the bottom because sooner or later a fish will expose itself by rolling on its side to grab a fly or, more commonly, opening its mouth to suck in a nymph. In the latter case, you should see the which flash of its gums.
Rock Creek Hatch Chart courtesy of Rock Creek Trout Bums
PERSONAL NOTE: of these four flies, my personal favorite (because it’s been the most productive for me) is the Purple Haze, especially in the morning before the sun hits the water. In the evening a lighter pattern is often more productive – the Spruce Moth or an Elk Hair Caddis are good flies for this time.
Of course, what’s summer fishing without a productive hopper strategy: my recommendation is to use any hopper imitation with a dropper. This is almost always a good bet midday. As for the combo pictured in this image, I would rather recommend you use size 18 bead-head copper john or bead-head pheasant tail for the trailer and any size 10 or larger hopper with a foam body and wiggly rubber legs.
Well, it seem many of the residents here in Trouthaven have seen Elk down here in Trouthaven. Most of the Elk are careful to stay high in the surrounding Sapphire (constitute the West side of Rock Creek canyon) and the John Long mountains (being the East side of Rock Creek) making the sighting of one (or more) quite an event.
I just saw my first elk (3 actually) on the West side of Rock Creek near the Giant’s Toe (a.k.a. the Big Rock). Sadly, they skedaddled up the mountain and were gone from sight before I could get my camera on ’em.
Anyway, Marty and Laurie took pictures of two elk in Harry’s Flat a few years ago. Over ten years ago, Don and Bonny took pictures of 3 elk in their yard. Just a few weeks ago, Andy and Jaycee had two young bull elk trot across their property and go up into the Sapphires. Shortly thereafter, Lynn, Gail, and I were saw a small herd way up in a meadow near Quigley.
So, they are around here but seem to avoid humans – much more so than bears and moose. As a matter of fact, it seems that more people see mountain lions than elk down here on the river. The montana fish and game biologists cataloged a herd of about 600 elk in the Welcome Creek area of Rock Creek in the late 90s. Since then, most of the heard has moved South to the Stoney Creek drainage leaving about 60 to 100 up here between Trouthaven and Welcome Creek.
The Montana biologists note that a pack of Wolves have moved into the Sapphires and much of the Sapphire herd has left the high range to graze in and near Stevensville – just due West of us about 10 miles.
