Ben heads to Canada 2012

kispiox river 

MOOSE!

pbj!

mom getting her swing on

lunch

weenie roast

larry falk and ben

watching mom fish

Honeymoon Pine River

Here are a few snaps from our time on the Pine River after the wedding...

26.5 x 17

grabin' the prize

24x15

nice stance, nice new rod

settling down for bed

champagne toast at the cabin

the ultimate knot

The ultimate knot indeed...

September 28, 2012

Amanda and Will had their wedding and reception hootenanny at Blue Lake Ranch. Fantastic times with great friends and family. Beers, margaritas, wine, Zia grub, live bluegrass, kids romping about, awkward dancing and high-5 good-times. Thanks to all that made it happen. The images below are from our pre British Columbia honeymoon on the Pine River. Amanda slid into her wedding dress one last time for a few casts and photo opts. She is so stunning to say the least. She also roped into a big brown trout. Those photos to follow...cheers

Ben's 10-Day-Old B-day Pics (continued)

More shots from Ben's first day of flickin' a fly on the Animas River Christmas day.







images: 1) Mom checking the bugs. 2) Proud papa planting one on his little noodle. 3) Amanda checking in on Ben, "Is he getting too much sun in there? Is he too cold" Dad, "No he is fine, he is way to bundled up in there." 4) Will landing a keeper on the Animas River. 5) Ben's first tailgate diaper change.

Benjamin Rally Blanchard's first trout

Benjamin was born December 15th, 2010 on a chilly snow-blown day in Durango Colorado. He slid out into the world at 11:48 am after a long 14 hours of labor. Amanda wanted a natural birth and that is what she got. No pain meds to speak of, unless you would really count Tylenol PM the night before. Amanda and Will, maybe a little sleep deprived, still found the energy to take young Ben for his first fishing excursion down on the Animas River. They loaded all the new kid gear, fly rods, dogs and the "little one" and headed for a little fishing on Christmas Day. At ten days young Ben was very impressed with the fact that his mom out fished his dad.

british columbia 2010

images: 100+ foot log on the banks of the upper skeena, flys-r-us pretty much sums it up, the king of the bush, amanda setting up a afternoon cast, adipose fin on lady steel.

steelies heading home

With cool wet days infiltrating the southwest, I feel hints of fall on most guide days. Some local rivers run high; swollen with rain run-off and some continue to flow cold and clear. Fishing has been good, despite varied conditions, but I find my thoughts turning towards the north. Way north. BC north. A place Amanda and I hope to explore by early October.

BC News:
Todd Stockner reports-"Sounds like Hannah and Wayne might have caught the first steelie on a dry fly last evening . . .. they were fishing in that new micro-low-water pool that forms to the right of the log pile on the island just below sweet deke. They came back all excited about this fish, small around four or five pounds by the sound of it, but bright and "with pink cheeks" .. . . what else could it have been eh?"

From the Babine, Pierce Clegg and Peter McMullan will be offering the book "Babine" some time this month. The book cover the long history of this great river. Fantastic art work, words and images. Get a copy from amazon, or a fine retailer near you. All the proceeds go back to the river. Funds will help in the conservation efforts of this great BC river. Click the link below to find a copy or two.


As for the steelies, it looks like a low water year and numbers look good. Get deke deep!



Expert from "Babine", a contribution to the book by Will Blanchard

Stepping into the Same River Twice

..."Last cast, bright hen - Ejnar’s Last Stand. Snow balls and jet sleds. Jet boat wars. Gorilla warfare in your face, snowball stockpile, broken windows, walls tagged white. Guides and guests. Good vibes surging. Night is back. Campfire burning, hot and high; the firelight glows on bearded faces. Sap snaps on glowing embers as flames lick the night sky. Add a log, tell a story. Dark and deep the night rolls on. One last Scotch, just five fingers. Raised glass, giving thanks. Friendships and tall tales of steelie tails and tail-outs. All the stories from all the seasons, mental snapshots, never fading. All the moments melt together, like the rivers currents."



photo: Amanda ripping a cast late season on the Babine 2009

Haida Gwaii

images: Amanda looking for a late day tug, clarki clarki, the coastal forests of the islands have many secrets (a dead eagle gives off crazy vibes), frosty grass on the banks of the Yakoun, fishing a tight Yakoun run

skeena love

Afternoon Spey Rip

Amanda ripping a late day spey cast on the Kis.