I've been having dreams about it

This month has been slow on the fishing front for me and most of my buddies as well. Here in CA we have had some much needed rain storms which have blown out many of the rivers.
Mainly I haven't gone fishing due to a lack of funds in the old checking account. There is, however, a trip on the horizon.
I'm going to a state where the beer flows like wine, and will be fishing a river where the rainbows reach 10lbs + due to a steady diet of Mysis Shrimp. My anxiousness has reached a point that has caused me to have dreams about hooking monster trout and fighting them just like Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It. I'm even as handsome as he is in my dreams.
I'm going to have to try and control my anxiety somehow. Don't worry, I've already started on a regimen of Jack Daniels and I'm hoping that will be enough for the next 12 days.
Another thing that has been concerning me is that if I don't relax, I just might not be able to contain myself once I finally get on the river. On a normal day trip I have to tell myself to relax before I tie my first fly on and get my line in the water. I actually go through a little routine I say to myself, "Just chill out and watch the water for a few minutes, get in to touch with your surroundings, the fish aren't going anywhere."
With all this anticipation and excitement I feel like a volcano with immense pressure under me, pushing me until I explode out of the truck, forget my rod, and run straight into the fucking river.

Native Rainbow Trout

An interesting article on whether Rainbow Trout are native to Idaho. I think the gene pool in Idaho is similar to many rivers in CA. Check out the article from Trout Unlimited:
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005141250

Blood Knot Magazine - Black

The Black Issue

Northern CA Coast

On Sunday I met up with friend and Steelhead guide Josh Schwartz for my inaugural CA coast Steelhead trip.
As always my hopes were high, why else would I get up at 1:30 in the morning in order to be on the water 6 hours later?

After going 0 for 1 (Josh, not me) by noon I started to think..."shit, this is a slow day, the conditions are right, the water color is good, Josh knows all the good spots..."

Unfortunately the fishing didn't pick up and we got blanked for the day. But it was well worth the trip to learn another awesome river.
It was also worth it to see Josh use his skill on the oars to show some dick head guide in another boat that low holing us was a bad idea.
We did run into a few guys that were pulling plugs but even those guys only managed a fish or two all day.

At risk of using a cliche, I guess that's just Steelhead fishing...or even better, we should have been there last week.

Wise Words

Never has the world seen such a profound statement as this. Then again, maybe someone just wanted to warn passersby that if you eat actual feces then you will die but I doubt that is the case.