Summer Camp

I'm not dead. It's been a big run since June.

I'll cover some in a couple retrospective posts here.

In July, we did have trout camp here in Michigan.

Fish camp involved some preparation. This is the start of a Sunday morning tying session. Those look like hobbit feet at the edge of the desk. Not sure where those came from. The Senator must have been at my desk. ( He didn't make camp. he gets a little abuse for it.)

The boys indulged me for the second year and we did camp. Great fun. My tent at left which has been featured here many times before. I love this little Marmot Tungsten.

 A somewhat more spacious number that Kevin uses. Pretty nice rig. I see smirks about the giant domed rig - but wait.

Damn nice cot. Palatial. Not a great picture of Kevin and in his defense, the lens is doing some funky foreshortening here.  It's the lens.

Solid restorative sleep is important. This rig gives him a solid domicile, storage, and a great bed. I'm jealous. He says it sleeps great. Can't imagine it wouldn't.

 Then, there is Big Bear's tent. Base camp. Nice rig.

 Rusty the Vizsla keeps things secure from those pesky grouse.

 And he guards our contribution to camping and leisure: the generator.

It ran the coffee maker. No. I'm not kidding. We used it to run the coffee maker.

Yes, the coffee was good. Damn fine use of technology.

What, you ask? Coffee on the morning fire? Hmm. Morning fire. Best we just skip the whole narrative of bears in the woods and disputes over fire.

Think of the generator as an engine of harmony. It did its job well.

Brook trout to hand.

Nice brookie. Not the biggest fish of the camp but I was very happy with this fellow. Stalked him in mid-day. Got him on a bushy Jingler tied after a Borcher's Drake pattern.

Fish camp '17 and ... we're eating again. Big Bear kept us fed well. We had great eats.

Great weather. Everyone caught fish. Beautiful summer fishing. Great company.

We missed The Senator but it is election year. He had a close primary which he did win back the beginning of this month. We'll forgive him for absence given the race; but, he was missed.

Now, the bittersweet. Kevin -- the contemplative fellow on the far left -- is leaving us. He's been "called home to corporate" in Seattle and is gone this fall.

He's a considerate fly angler. He's put together several of our fish camp trips. He's a great partner for a day on the water.

He'll be missed.

What this means is that our little local group is going to have to get on airplanes to go and fish destination rivers.  They'll probably be some group outing loss to that reality as expense, obligation, and vocational concerns all will contribute to restrictions in our numbers.

We've have some fun these past years. It's been easy to get out.

I mentioned everyone caught fish this camp. We'll have to just catch our next fish together somewhere else.

Estes and Rocky Mountain National looks like a good middle ground and of course Steve Bird and the Upper Columbia have been calling for a couple years.

We've had a good run. We've had it easy. We've had it cheap. They've been good years.

Thanks, Kevin. We'll see you on the big water.