Crooked River

December 1, 2024November 30, 2024

And, it’s December . . .

Hope you all had a relaxing holiday break and enjoyed whatever variety of feast you sat down to.

We headed to the river and supped on cheese, slices of smoked meat, and chunks of bread.

November ended on a cold note.

Our week started snowy, shifted into a warming trend . . . just enough to create a layer of ice. And then came the freeze.

By week’s end it got clear and cold, really cold . . . like 15 degrees.

Deceivingly cold day on the Crooked River

Roads were clear, so we headed up to the Crooked for holiday break. Turned out to be a bit too cold to stand in the river for any length of time.

But the day was blue-sky gorgeous. Brewed up a cup of cocoa and enjoyed watching flocks of birds swoop from stream to tree.

We’ll move through December avoiding the ‘buy now’ push, bake some cookies and enjoy our fireplace.

Cold weather makdes tying knots a bit more difficult

Winter fishing has a different pace as well.

Can’t let the corporate pitchman’s babble take up any more space in our day . . . get outdoors and breathe in fresh air is now our winter mantra.

November 10, 2024November 9, 2024

Refocused

It doesn’t matter what you call it . . . there are times when it’s important to refocus energy.

This was one of those weeks, and time on a stream is our preferred method.

Looking for a place to start

It was a perfect fall day.

Sun generated enough heat to counter the chill, as long as you were layered up. The Crooked was fishing well, and wildlife was prolific.

Media, mainstream and social, has gotten in the way. The constant barrage of sales and holiday propaganda came to an end . . . severed and throttled, those sources of noise were quieted.

This blog is where we can be found.

It’s a calm niche, carved out of the madness that is swirling about us.

Don’t expect us to click ‘like buttons’ on popular social media sites. If you need to talk, you know how to find us . . .

. . . right here or on the river.

Find a spot of your own and refocus . . . the world is going to get messy.

October 27, 2024October 26, 2024

Another Trip to the River

Rain, marking a transition between fall and winter, started up this week. But it didn’t stick around long.

We headed up to the Crooked River to take advantage of a perfect fall day. Morning starts with a dusting of frost and fog obscures the view. We just add an extra layer of flannel under the vest and venture out.

By midday the frost is gone and the fog has burnt off. October skies are typically clear and the sun feels warm, even if there is a bit of chill to the wind.

This time of year migration is in full swing, which boosts the variety of bird sightings. JQ’s camera is kept busy with the renewed activity.

The Kestrel has come back along the river and is hanging near their old nesting site. Hours pass watching the comings and goings of all the different critters.

Another seasonal shift on the river is water levels. As irrigation needs subside, the reservoir restricts flow to start the process of resupply.

These lower flows are matched with temperature shifts, which in turn trigger bug hatches. This is good for the fish and the fisher.

All too soon shorter days will bring cold days and hard frosts. Snow is not far behind which will cause a shift to our travels.

But for the present we’ll add warm shirts to the packing and shift from iced to warm drinks. There is still plenty of sunny fall days to enjoy.

September 29, 2024September 28, 2024

Kind of a Sad Week

This week we had to say goodbye to Lewis, an 18 year old, long hair, black cat. He was sick first of the week, and then by mid-week he wasn’t eating or drinking.

He’s had some kidney issues, but this was not a good sign.

By Thursday we knew what had to be done.

He was kind of a pain in the butt. He liked to jump up on the counter and chomp fresh herbs (chives being his favorite). But he was the best ‘in your lap while reading cat’ we’ve ever had. Now, we have just one cat left.

The excursions we did make this week were up to the Crooked River. We really needed the peace of a sit-along-the-stream.

The fishing wasn’t very good, clouds and wind took over one of the days . . . but a bad day on the river is still a good day.

Thursday was much better. We had the place to our selves and while the fishing didn’t improve, the weather did.

Fall is definitely here.

Day temps are down and there is a crispness to the air. Plus, the migration is starting up so bird activity is increasing.

We’ll likely make a trip out to Summer Lake this coming week, and maybe have another try at Summer Steelhead. The weatherman suggests we’ll have good days ahead.

September 8, 2024September 7, 2024

Under a Smoke Filled Sky

The predominate winds shifted this week and nearly the entire state was veiled in smoke.

This turned the morning sun orange, obscured the Cascade Range and generally muted our view. However, it did not keep us at home. It never got that toxic.

At the start of the week we took an afternoon trip to the Crooked River. After an early dinner at the Tastee Treet, we found our favorite parking spot vacant.

I was looking for an evening hatch and some dry fly action, a much anticipated part of summer flyfishing.

There were far more strikes than hook sets, but we’re not looking to catch. The river provided a couple of hours of action, ending in a cold beverage and relaxing time sitting on its’ bank.