[Steve K.]

Jay….we’re probably falling vicitim to the fashion craze to a degree (Note-I was wearing North Face before it was cool to do so.) Walmart fleece is probably just as good to a degree as NF or Mountain Hardware fleece but what’s the worst that could happen if the jacket fails you on a wet and chilly Saturday afternoon at a football game? Now if that same Wallyworld fleece jacket fails you 5 days into a 10-day float trip on the Alagnak….you could die.

There are certain things I personally won’t skimp on…..Gore Tex jacket and a good base layer are two of them. Quality waders and boots, tent and sleeping bag are up there on the list as well.

[Steve K.]

“One beep now gets her attention”

Zach….thanks for the heads up! Cabelas huh? I’ve got a wedding anniversary coming up so I may just ……..nevermind.

[Steve K.]

Mike,

While in AK this summer, our guide took us to a secluded spot where the pike were stacked up in the grass. We threw big mouse patterns with the flyrod and caught some nice ones…..of course the buzzbaits/spinning gear worked best.

We had been catching silver salmon all morning, but the pike were much more fun! Twitch the mouse and watch the v-shaped wake as the fish came toward the mouse. They would come from as far as 20 feet away. The vibrations seem to put them into a frenzy. I could here the theme from Jaws playing in my head.  ;D

They ain’t muskie but darn close!!!

PS….great slideshow by the way!

[Steve K.]

Zach….those are RT fares.

[Steve K.]

Lou,

I fly to MT every summer from ATL. Historically, I get the best deal flying into Billings vs. Bozeman. I don’t seem to get BZN on sale anymore. I bought ATL – BIL last week for $277 plus junk fees on Northwest. That sale has been taken off the website. I booked through their site http://www.nwa.com.

I also use a really neat airfare search engine called http://www.sidestep.com . It searches most major airlines as well as Orbitz and a few others. Try to travel on a Saturday for the best deals. Sidestep lists the following on Northwest for July/August departures.

TYS-BIL for $519 plus junk
TYS-BZN for $522 plus junk
TYS-BZN for $534 plus junk

Hope this helps.

[Steve K.]

My first thought is why drive? By the time you spring for gas and a campsite or two along the way, you can buy a plane ticket to SLC or Billings. Three weeks ago Frontier had Billings for $135 plus junk fees from Atlanta.

Get another person to go with you and split a rental car. By flying out, you won’t burn two or three days driving. You’ve got the right idea about camping….that will save you money.

I’d consider going late July or early August and fish terrestrials. September would be even better. You do have to take in consideration warmer water temps, lower water levels, and forest fires if you go late summer.

[Steve K.]

Splitshot….I plan to fish Pebble Creek in August….my second time fishing this stream….and to quote Forrest, “That’s all I’m gonna say about that!”

[Steve K.]

The Bible 🙂

There’s a few copies listed for 95 centavos!!!

[Steve K.]

Moose….thanks for the pics. Ain’t nothing like it is there? I’ve awakened in the morning to find a herd of elk outside my tent…..and remember one morning when I heard a gosh awful racket….only to unzip the tent flap to see a flock of sandhill cranes. Sitting around the campfire at night….listening to the wolves and coyotes howl is neat as well!

Just curious…..when you fish backcountry lakes….do you carry in a float tube? I want to hike in to Heart Lake this summer….but am a little leery of strictly wading the lake….lots of marshy areas 🙁

[Steve K.]

….here’s my sweetie:

It’s special because I built it from a Mike Brooks’ blank.

Drifter

[Steve K.]

Bryan,

Thanks for posting…..we have a lot in common. This August will be by ninth time traversing the Yellowstone backcountry with pack and pole. I have a few stories about my encounters with Ursis Horriblus as well. I am happy to say that neither the bears nor myself were injured during these meetings 🙂 3rd Meadow is one of my favorites places. Two summers ago I did a cross-country (with a shuttle) from the mouth of Pebble Creek to 3rd Meadow and then back down to the Lamar. Beautiful scenery and great fishing! I want to explore the area above Silvertip and Frenchy’s Grave! This summer I plan to hike/fish the Bechler drainage. Have you fished it?

I’ve backpacked/flyfished most of the Great Smoky Mountain N.P. and enjoy that as well. Last summer I did 3 weeks in AK….and boy was that an adventure!

Anytime you need a partner, shoot me an email. I’m into lightweight backpacking now and can honestly say that I can do a 5-day trip with a 35 pound pack. I plan to whittle that down a little more this summer when I ditch the tent and go to a silnylon tarp (8 ounces versus 3 lbs.)!

Anyhow….thanks for the story….and let’s go hiking!

Drifter

[Steve K.]

So Zach, how did it go?

I expect it was slow…..I usually don’t target shoalies until the summer months. Despite what wiki says, I’ve been fishing for shoalies since the early 70s….primarily on the Flint River and it’s tribs. They look like smallmouth and fight like them as well……and yes….theytend to be in the faster riffles, hence the name. On the Flint, one of their favorite foods is a black helgramite. As a result, a black wooly booger works really well. I flyfish from my driftboat on certain sections of the Flint.

The guys over at http://www.georgiariverfishing.com target them on the Flint. Their message board is a wealth of info.

Let me know how you do.

Drifter

[Steve K.]

What Matt said!

If I were shopping for a new body and lens setup right now and didn’t have any lenses I’d take a hard look at the D80 and 18-200mm VR combo.

That 18-200VR is da bomb!

[Steve K.]

Patten,

I too, have a D70s and the kit lens. I also bought an old Nikon 400mm/3.5 manual focus telephoto for wildlife photography. Of course I then had to invest in a Jobu gimbal and a Fiesol carbon fiber tripod to support the beast. It works great but is a pain in the buttocks to transport. I do a lot of backcountry camping/hiking/fishing so portability is an issue. As a result, I now travel with a Pelican 1400 case, with the D70s, kit lens, cards, extra battery and a 50-200mm zoom. My wish list includes replacing the zoom with this:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/80400vr.htm

I’ll be able to carry everything in the Pelican and still reach out to 400mm. No tripod needed due to VR! This will be my setup on my next Alaskan float trip where a lot of rain and moisture will be encountered.

[Steve K.]

John….thanks for the reply. I’m using a PC. I’ll give Google a try.

[Steve K.]

…and I might add….one of the more civil sites I’ve come upon. Great folks here with a ton of knowledge. Thanks Zach and Lauren!

[Steve K.]

Zach,

I’ve looked into housings for my D70s and I found (just like you) that it is cost prohibitive. A good strobe set would probably cost as much or more than the housing 🙁

[Steve K.]

Scott,

What size(weight) lens/camera will you be placing on the tripod?

Carbon fiber is probably the way to go if weight is a concern. I purchased a Fiesol CF tripod for about $330. The comparable Gitzo is about $600. You might not need something this beefy but I am supporting a 6 1/2 pound lens.

I have nothing but good things to say about Fiesol.

[Steve K.]

Zach,

I’d be interested in some photography instruction.

[Steve K.]

Thanks!

Actually the middle photo is Tom’s Branch which is a trib of Deep Creek just above the campground. The fishing was tough in that area, probably because of it’s proximity to the parking lot. I did manage two small rainbows before heading over to the Oconaluftee.

[Author]

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