No Fish, No Where, No How, No Way

[John H]

I could probably go out there and find a fish right now but opportunities are not good and it hardly seems worth doing. I expect I will get motivated soon but in the meantime the bird photography the last couple of weeks has been good. It is nice to have two hobbies so when one is down maybe the other is up. Bird photography and fishing are not that different. Do your research, know your gear, know your spots and sneak around trying to figure out where they are and what they are up to. When you see one in a good spot you better take your shot before he sees you and flies off or swims off. If it works you come home with a good memory and maybe a good photo.

Tight lines and good birding.


Coyote hiding in the thistles


Horned owl taking a nap.


Red shouldered hawk wishing I would just go away and leave him alone


Red shouldered hawk flying close by


Say's Pheobe looking for another bug


Golden crowned sparrow


Hermit thrush. Impossible to find in the forest but he landed about 15 feet from me in my backyard.


The mighty ruby crowned kinglet. He is a good looking little puffball.

[Dick]

Fantastic photos John. Thanks for posting them.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We started getting photos up here on the 'message board / forum' maybe 20 years? ago from those flip phones that were not too good but exciting, nonetheless.

Now with these Smart Phones with amazing cameras, we get more good photos all the time.

John here is far above most of us in fishing and photography and many of us appreciate it.



Winter is a good time to work on your tackle and tie flies.


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February is, on average, weather permitting, and legalities considered, the peak month for winter Steelhead on the coast.

Winter is the time for Pyramid Lake.

Winter is good in New Zealand, Argentina and Chili for big trout.

Fishing near the Equator is year-round so Christmas Island is a good choice. We used to go in February.

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Winter in Florida, LA and Texas can be good but it is "hit and miss" due to the weather.

It is usually in the 70s all winter but we get "cold snaps" that come down from the North for about 3 days at a time.

[Bob G]

A
Absolutely fabulous...Thank You John!

[Vaughn Willett]

Wow! Good stuff, John.

[DLJeff]

Ruby crowned kinglets are cool little birds. Don't get to see their ruby very often.



Had a flock of cedar waxwings pass through the other day.

[John H]

Good stuff, Jeff. I am going to Oregon next month. I am hoping to see the varied thrush and maybe get a picture of him.

[DLJeff]

Thrush's as you know are difficult to see sometimes because they like to forage on the ground under bushes and deep inside undergrowth. I haven't seen a varied thrush around central Oregon, might be more of them on the other side of the Cascades, I don't know. I see hermits and a Swainson's thrush out here so I would expect varied to be around. If you want to see an American robin come on up, we have about a buhjillion of them around, crapping all over everything and crashing into windows.

[John H]

I saw the varied thrush on the coast in Oregon and Washington last year but the camera was not with me. Hopefully I can run into one this year but it is probably a long shot. I don’t know which is longer odds, a picture of a varied thrush or a winter steelhead on the swing but I will be looking for both. Maybe I will look for a unicorn or Sasquatch while I am at it. I had a varied and a hermit come through my backyard one day a few weeks ago. That was pretty surprising.

[DLJeff]

Happy Groundhog Day. I hate to burst anyone's bubble but Marvin the Marmot says he can kick Puxy Phil's butt three times before he even thinks about looking for his shadow.