Here is my latest column from the East Idaho News:

 http://www.eastidahonews.com/2015/12/fire-at-sand-creek-pond-2-becomes-a-winner/

Hope you enjoy it.

Travels with an Old Man-1

I am out of school for potato harvest and decided to spend the day enjoying the outdoors.  I loaded my fly rod, shotgun, chain saw and camera and headed out at 5:45 in the dark.  About 10 miles out of town it started raining very hard and I almost turned around and headed home but then I thought, "If you wait for rain to stop, you may miss a life-time of experiences."

The rain had slowed to a misty wetness as I pulled into Sand Creek Pond #4.  The planters were hungry and I was enjoying them when other fishermen showed up.  The giggling told me some were teenage girls.  They went down the pond and soon the giggles turned into excited shouts - they were catching fish also. 

I found out that a young man was a very smart young man and knows exactly what to do with young women - pick them up at 6:15 in the morning and take them fishing.  They will never forget you.  Actually he and one of the girls are students of mine.  Here he is will a large rainbow - the girls also caught large fish.

The rain had subsided as I left the Sand Creek Ponds with the trees just starting to change into their fall colors.

I headed across the high mountain desert successfully finding sharp-tailed and sage grouse.  This is Split Butte, one of the dozens of buttes caused by volcanic eruptions.

As I climbed higher the clouds had dropped around the shoulders of Fog Butte - aply named.  There I was able to get a load of fire wood.

As I climbed higher and did some scouting for deer and elk, I found beautiful pockets of colored aspen.

After experiencing a sudden down pour, I found this Swainson's hawk trying to dry out its feathers in the wind.

What a great day spent in the wildness of Idaho.

Busy Saturday

After watching four grandchildren run in a fun run, I headed for Sand Creek Ponds to work on a story about banana trout.  The turkey vultures were staging to migrate and I saw 17 of them soaring as I drove to the lakes.

I interviewed this lady who had caught a nice rainbow, but no bananas.  They had seen some swim by, but could not catch them.

So I rigged up my fly rod with a small nymph and moved to an area void of fishermen.  The banana trout would follow my fly and finally one would take it.

                                    

They were small, about six to eight inches, and  were easy to see in the water and even the ospreys got into the act and caught them.

                                 

Just another wild day in Idaho.

Skywatch Friday #4- Blue Creek Reservoir

Located on the Sand Creek Wildlife Management Area, north of St. Anthony, Blue Creek Resevoir is fed by a series of beaver dams.  Below Blue Creek Reservoir are four Sand Creek Reservoirs teeming with stocked and native fish.  With fall coming, the leaves will soon turn and it will be a beautiful golden color.