Boise Zoo in Autumn

My family and I went the Boise Zoo under the beautiful autumn sky. After my wife bought the annual pass for our family, she and our daughter seemed to go there often. But it was first time to for us visit there all family together.

This is the photo around the entrance.




Penguin is one of her favorites.

I think she likes penguin statue better than real one. To tell the truth it was cleaning day of penguin pool, and what we could see was mostly the sight of animal handler's cleaning. But our daughter appeared to be happy.






She likes giraffe slider also.

Maybe it should be called 'park' rather than 'zoo' for her.

Rodeo again

I went to the local small Rodeo with my daugther.

Although it was second time for me, was first time for her, so I expected that she must be pleased with it.

But it seemed to be enough for her to see pre-rodeo event(mutton busting) only.

Approximately, it was within one hour stay for us...



On the way to parking, she pointed at a vapor trail for me. Recently she became aware of something so well.

It looked like beatiful in the autumn sky.

Rainbow

Hatch: Crane fly, Flav
Streamflow 300cfs

This evening, it was unstable weather in SFOB. But I could see the beautiful rainbow because of that.

When I arrived there, it was sometimes rain and strong wind blew.

Last one hour before sunset, weather became better and the Flav hatch has started.




The number of hatch and rised was highest class ever in SFOBI think. I think I caught abot 5fishes by Flav. All sizes were under average(12~14inches)






Last one 16inches(40cm)

It had continued the rise close the bank, which means at the very shallow.

I feel larger one tend to feed close the bank from my experience.

I was satisfied with the rise game iteself, but I would like to catch the larger one if possible.

Mixed hatches

Hatch: Baetis, Pink Cahill, Crane fly,Flav
Streamflow 300cfs(I didn't know this drop from 600cfs until I arrived there)


I could go to SFOB in the afternoon today, so I wanted to try hopper first in the daytime expecting no hatch. But there was some small rises and I could see a few Pink Cahill. So I tied the pink first.

As a result I seemed to choose a wrong selection. There was nothing. Then I changed the fly to hopper dropper, because these rises seemed to be small one's. But no big boy snapped at it.


Finally I could identified the hatch as baetis's one(BWO). I should have noticed earlier... I tried a little with BWO, but I gave it up. not easy...

About one and half hour before sunset, I moved another hole with the expectaion of Flav hatch. The rises are fewer than I expected.

My flav pattern selection seemed to be wrong again. There was a possibility which those rises were Baetis's. I couldn't distinguish them.

I could also see some Crane Flies there. It was first time to see and looked like smaller than the native in Japan.

I gave that hole up and headed upstream to find the last chance. Finally I could get only one luck at the last hole by Flav!

It had a dazzling pink band and ran all over the place. It was only pity not to take a photo because it swimed away while I prepared the camera. It looked like about 17inches(43cm), and was very good fighter.

Casting practice

My colleague Moto and I went to the pond near my house with my daugther after five. Although main purpose was Moto's practice of fly casting( he's just started fly fishing), there was another aim to take care of my daughter also.

Recently she became a good caster. I would like to let her catch the first fish as a next step.

Flav hatches

Streamflow:600cfs ( it was just dropped yesterday)
Hatch: Flav in the late evening

When I arrived SFOB in the evening, there was no major hatch and some attack to my hopper. But I couldn't hook them.

One hour before sunset, the number of rise was increasing. They seemed to be for Flav hatch. Although I saw some big one's, I couldn't attract them. I could catch only small one(about 13inches) at last. It prevented me getting skunked.

3rd day in Yosemite

My daughter and I took a walk around the cabn in the morning.








The giant sequoia in the Mariposa Grove.







We did the camping at Fishcamp, which was located only in 2 miles south of the Yosemite's south entrance.

I think you can find the reason why I chose this campground soon.



After setting everything, we took a walk along the Big Creek. My purpose was certainly to check the flow and fish.

My daughter and wife made a meal for me.



I could have a time to fish after the BBQ dinner.

This was the first fish by royal wolf with one day license of Calfolnia state.
Though it was about 12inches/31cm, it fought well and it was not easy game.




Tiny but pretty brownie.

It was only about 1 hour fishing, but I enjoyed it very much.

Tomorrow is leaving day for over12 hours drive. We were surprised by the almost miracle view and the number of people including us.

I hope we can visit there again with much time in the future.

Yosemite 2nd day

View from curry village in the morning.









Halfdome and Liberty Cap maybe...





Steller's Jay, it seems to be famous in this park.










View from Glacier Point





View from Glacier Point too

We enjoyed many divine sights around the Yosemite Valley. I had nothing to say except that.

We stayed the cabin in the curry Village again.

Let's go to Yosemite!

We decided to go to the Yosemite National Park by drive using the Labor Day's holiday plus one day off. It was big challenge for us, especially my daughter(two and half), because it was estimated about 12hours one way by car.

We left at 6:30 AM(Mountain Time) and arrived Curry Village at about 6 o'clock PM(Pacific Time) . Except the rest time, it was almost less than 11hours drive and not so hard for me.

This is Typical Road sight in NEVADA. There was nothing but wilderness and mountains.

Brunch in McDermitt which on the border between OREGON and NEVADA. It was a little surprise for us that every city in NEVADA has CASINO. Yes, NEVADA is the state which has LAS VEGAS!

Just a little after entering CALIFORNIA, we could arrive the enterance of Yosemite.

The first impression of Yosemite was there were much verdure. Maybe we got used to the scenic of Idaho, it is a kind of desert you know.

This is the sight from Tioga Road in Yosemite.

View from Curry Village. Curry Village is located in the Yosemite Valley, and its view was a kind of spectacle because it was between steep rock mountains.

We could go to bed early, and sleep well.

Picnic in Middle Folk of Boise River

We had my parents-in-law here this week. During their stay, we took them to the Middle Folk of Boise River for one day picnic.

It was almost one year ago for me to visit this river last time. Although the long dart road was more painful for me than I expected, we enjoyed BBQ like this photo.




My daughter also seemed to be happy with her grandparents.





My father-in-law and I tried fishing just a little bit.

Though it was only my pitty that he didn't have any luck, I could show tiny but beautiful one for them. He bit the copper john as a droper of hopper.

Good game and winged ant

When I arrived SFOB river, it was evening and the sun was sinking in the west. I felt the sunset time was becoming earlier than before.

I chose the hopper first because there was not any major hatches yet. But the reaction was too slow.

I went up the stream, and found the good one's rise. So I changed the fly to the Flav, and casted it. Although I got the splash, I couldn't hook it up... I hooked another one(average size), but missed it.

I changed the hole and found the stable rise. It bit my flav surely!

Though I succeeded in hooking, it fought very strongly. Can you see my #6 rod's bending?

I dealed with this fish very carefully, and could catch it.

It was 17inches/43cm(average), but healthy one. I was satisfied with all processes of this game!

I checked its stomach and found many winged ants. It was new discovery for me on this river.

I would like to consider this point next time. I heard the flow will dropped from 1600cfs to 1000cfs on next Monday, maybe this trip was the last one with high flow.

Great day!

I took an afternoon off and headed SFOB river again and again.

I really wanted to try in the evening for Flav hatch, but I had to return home until approximately 18:00. Which meant that I had to stop fishing at most 16:30...

Although I tried the new hole by hopper and dropper, there were nothing.

I tried the same hole as 7/31's good one, as a result I got it!!

She suddenly attacked my hopper with huge jaws and ran toward the downstream so fast.

Whenever she got close to me, she ran away so strong. I didn't know how many times she did it(close and away).

But finally I could land her, yes it was just landing because my net didn't work because of her size.


Needless to say I shouted loudly many times when I caught her!

22inches(56cm)!

I think she is the heaviest trout that I caught ever except steelhead.





After that, I checked the Flav hole in the daytime.

There were a few hatches and rises of small one. I could get one small fish by Flav dun, but it was all.





I moved again and tried my favarite hole for the last.

I could catch a fine guy by hopper again(19inches/48cm).
It is so lovely isn't it?





Although I couldn't try in the evening, I was satisfied with great fishes!

Flav hatch in the evening

Today I missed the two attack to the hopper before they bit it.

I knew the reason of it, it was the distance between the fish and me. They could see me before they fed it, so they stopped to bite it in the just front of the fly.

But I could get the third attack in spite of strong flow.
Size was average(16.5inches/42cm), but it was fine and tugged so strong.



After the usual hole, I tried the new hole in the late evening. And there were some rises to the Flav's hatches.

Though I did hook two big boys up twice, I missed them. I think the reason was tight tension.

What I could land was only small boy, but I was happy to get it by match the hatch.

The reason why I missed many fish

I could see some Flavs in SFOB, but there was no rise.

So I decided the hopper pattern first.

Although I did hook two big boy by it, they are hooked off again and again! Why? What's wrong?

For the third one, it was a little late to set a hook. But as a result, I could catch it. Though the size was average(16inches/40.5cm), it tugged so strong including fast stream.

Finally I got the reason why I missed so many good ones. It was the timing to set a hook! Especially for the huge hopper pattern, I had to wait until the fish fed it enough. I thought the exciting attack to the hopper could be one cause of early setting a hook.

There are many things which I should learn, but I believe it is one of funs of fly fishing.

Middle Folk of Salmon River(so wild!)

This river is famous for its wildness inclucing Westlope cutthroat(not Yellowstone cutthroat), and people says there is not any hatchery fish, but native fish only. Though I don't know it is true or not, it is said that any rainbows there are really Steelhead smolt.





I picked this river as a destination of my family and my colleage Moto's family's camping trip. It took about 3.5hours to the campground close to the river.




This beautiful Bull trout was not mine but Moto's one. He caught it by spin casting. I wished it was my fish, because I've never caught the Bull trout.

He also tried fly fishing for the first time, and caught the fine fish.
He may get addicted to the fly fishing.





We built the bonfire for the first time. It was enough to keep warm for us.

We were aloso surprised by the coldness there. I've forgot that this river was very close to Stanley, which meant it showed high elevation. It should be cold!


Next morning, Moto and I woke up about 5:30, and went to the river. It was actually chilly!

Moto caught the beautiful Westlope cutthroat by lure! I think he has good luck.

On the other hand, I caught some smolts of Steelhead only... But, they looked so lovely.

We enjoyed the untouched wildness there including fishing.

I thought I would like to try the Westlope cutthroat and Bull trout again.