Sunday, October 28, 2018

Lacking Data, We Must Assume Success

The image at left is hosted on wikicommons and is used with the very kind permission of D. Sharon Pruitt and Pink Sherbet Photography of Utah. Thanks for the loan of the image!

Blank page.

It is supposed to be full of measurements and figures and the extrapolation of a population model answering questions of fish-per-mile and the overall success of our Mill Creek restoration program.

First, the water was too high for our fall fish shocking. We've had rain.

Fine.

A couple weeks later the intrepid Mill Creek Investigative Team convenes and are defeated by a recalcitrant generator mounted on the shocking barge. How many engineering degrees were clustered around the generator that would do everything but generate?

You really don't want to know but trust me, NASA was jealous.

So, my fall highlight was to be the survival of fish in Mill Creek and hopefully confirmation of natural reproduction.  No news is hardly good news.

Maybe we'll have news later.

I've got a roomful of gear and am plotting outings for next year. This year, I may still get up north for some post-spawn streamer work on the Au Sable. I don't like to trouble the fish until after the spawn.

My local shop is plotting an outing to the Driftless in Wisconsin for spring. That has merit.

I have a memorial to attend for the wife of a great outdoorsman and friend. She'd had quite a health battle this past year or so. I'd only briefly met her once -- our friendship revolves around trout and didn't involve the more domesticated elements of life.

I'm going to make a real effort at getting my friend in the ink. He's an excellent writer and has had a solid career in non-fiction and technical writing. He has all the hallmarks of fiction but for accomplishment. Might be an outlet.

At least, I'm going to try to get him to a library for a couple evenings and let him think about something other  than those things that trouble us through the windshield as we roar down the road. Being alone with our thoughts can require a little direction towards industry from time to time.

Are you working on your thoughts about trout? 

I am. I'm thinking the water is bloody cold.

The beer is closer to room temperature. (I keep my cave cooler than yours, I'm sure. I'm the most part bear.).

Don't let it build up in the pantry. Have some.

Prost.

3 comments:

  1. Spike, good report. The Montana report as well. Looks like you had good weather out West. Amazing how educated those trout get over the summer aint it.

    Ours are getting that way on the Columbia as well, due to increased pressure these last few years. Having been pinned enough by fraudulent imitations of their favorite hatches, we're seeing trout actually refusing the naturals. I fished wee caddis softies right through the Drake hatches this year & did better.

    Writing a fiction? Ah good. Back South for the winter & swear I'm gonna push this short fiction project out the door once & for all.

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  2. Hey - good to hear from you. Yea -- I was surprised that the Lamar trout were as difficult as they were. We hiked in three miles from the road but pressure and low, slow water.

    Good to hear you are into the cave for the winter. A little immersion in the prose is what we could use. I'm mainlining ink every night and every morning. Feels good to be in the chair and at the desk.

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    Replies
    1. Spike, the ink is free. And it's good to read you.

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