Last Day. Seriously It Might Be Over.

Our Mountainside View.

We awoke in the morning, with the sun starting poke through the mountains.  I was not sure what to expect. After a poor water year I stopped hunting quail pretty early last year and focused on ducks so with even a drier year this year I didn't expect too much but tried to stay optimistic.

Get To Hunt The Fancy Gun (Merkel 147SL) Today.  A Perfect Motif  For The Day.

I intentionally camped within hearing distance of a nearby roosting area in the hopes of hearing some quail calling in the morning.  When we awoke it was dead silent.  After I broke down camp and set up for the hunt we were off in the direction near the roosting area.  We worked the draw as this is highway for the birds to water.  I saw no sign of tracks.  Kaiser worked hard looking for game but we moved out of the draw to the field.   Reaching the next draw, we entered with hopes of busting a few. 

All we saw was a cottontail that I had no shot as once I saw it, it ran into the thick stuff and was lost.  We climbed out of the draw into the fields and Kaiser would go birdy moving from air scenting to ground scenting but would lose the trail after a while.  Eventually he found a single that wild flushed 60 yards away.  No shot and I marked where it landed.  It went back into the draw we just exited.  We gave chase and I hoped the bird landed high into the draw so we worked the top side of it with no luck.  I had no intention of reentering the depths of the draw again and gave up the chase and moved on.   After what seemed like an eternity of hiking another single, a male, flushed wild.  This time I was able to take the shot but missed with both barrels.  I marked where it landed and we made chase never to find it again.

A Hunter I Met With A Purdey Island Lock.  Very Nice.

At this time I started to sweep back to the truck.  We ran into two jacks and I chose not to take the shot as I already had a jack and didn't want to hump it the next 3miles or so back to camp.  I made it to the draw and I was hearing the beep of an e-collar but couldn't see the dog anywhere.  Eventually I saw the two dogs working, an English pointer and a setter.  I looked around for the owner and finally saw him.  I called out to him to let him know where I was and waved.  He waved back and let me know I was there.  We met up and chatted a bit.  He had saw nothing yet I told him of the pair of singles I saw.  I noticed he was carrying a side by side hammer gun and asked to see it.  It was a Purdey Island Lock!  If I recall he said it was from 1877.  You don't see too many side by side in the field, at least I don't.  We traded guns so we could inspect each of them, I asked if I could take a picture and he obliged.  We said our "good lucks" and I told him f the area I didn't hunt yet and that he might want to try it.  Later I heard a single shot in the direction of where I left him so maybe he had a gotten one.

B&P Shells Have The Sexiest Brass In All Of Shotshells.

We left each other and I made it into the draw where a row of cottonwoods were, as I was struggling to make my way up the high embankment five quail flushed.  My gun was broken as I was trying to get up the wall I had to quickly snap the gun back together and took a shot.  I managed to take one and it fell into a thick area of high grass, broken branches and other natural garbage.  In reality when I look back on it, I shouldn't have taken the shot.  First it was too thick to make a retrieve despite our efforts to, but also it was a small covey and since the birds are struggling I should have just let them go and hoped they repopulate this season assuming they made it.

Lunch Time For Me.

Low on water, we quit and headed to the truck.  The field was loaded with trucks I'm not sure if all of them were hunters but I saw at least 10 trucks!  So I decided to see how one of my honeyholes, "The G-Spot", and rove to it but before I made sure to pick up some water at the local country store. 

The Can Made A Nice Water Container For Kaiser.

The G has always produced nice coveys even in bad years.  Most likely because this spot is known by a few and usually only by locals.  We hunted for hours, searching and searching.  I saw no sign of any birds. 

The Bag.  No Quail, Only A Cottontail And A Jack.

After several hours of hard work we began making our way back.  In a small draw we spooked what I initially though was a cottontail and as I drew my bead on it and fired, I then realized it was a jack.  I didn't intend on taking another jack.  As Kaiser handed it back to me we made a few steps and this time a cottontail emerged.  I took it, hitting him in the head taking both eyes out.  It was not a pretty sight but life and death can be ugly at times.

Much The Landscape Is Now Loaded With These.

By this time we were done with the G-Spot and I wondered if any of those birds made it through the tough times.  There were a few nearby spots and when I reached them I choose not to take those roads.  I was in no mood to off road, even if they were easy trails so I headed to another great area on the way home.  Last year parts of this area were started to be posted with No Trespassing signs.  The area I hunted in the past is public but you need to cross through private land .  All the roads now are posted and there is no easy way to enter the hot spots anymore.  I headed home and asked my new iphone if there was any traffic in (hel)L.A. and showed no traffic.  Shocking.  No traffic on a Sunday at a time when everyone is making their way home from the weekend.  I decided to trust the iphone and take the 5 home.  No traffic my ass.  Siri, you lying whore. 

Waiting At The 24 Hour Pet Hospital As Kaiser Gets X-rayed.

On the drive home Kaiser would whimper every so often, I'd pull over and see what the fuss was about but couldn't tell what was wrong.  As I made it home Kaiser was slow to get out of the kennel.  I figured he was just too tired.  I lifted him out and placed him on the ground and left him relieve himself.  He was slow moving and he limped, crying as he walked.  After hearing him whimper and crying I decided to get him checked out.  He showed no sign of injury all day so I was shocked.  I spent about an hour at the vet's and they don't believe he broke anything but they were unsure since the shoulder is the toughest area to x-ray.  The vet believes it must be a torn muscle or a sprain.  I was given some anti-inflammatories and pain killers.  The dog is out of commission for at least a month not counting recovery time.  That most likely means Kaiser is out for the whole hunting season.  We may get the last few weeks but that's it.  I'll have to look at some of the nearby states that have their season's end in February and see if we can get a hunt there.  This sucks.  Obviously the Thanksgiving hunt I had planned is now off.

Good Cast, Bad Blast

Day 3 of my Cast and Blast weekend was good on the former not so good on the later.  After a grueling previous day of hunting in some of the ugliest weather I've hunted in, I choose to sleep in and spend the morning looking for trout willing to take my fly.  I got on the Lower and managed to hit one of my favorite holes.  I fished it for a while but due to the previous day's weather much of the hole was littered with the river's garbage.  Also it was still a bit early for the fish to awaken so I moved to a few holes down, leapfrogging past a few fly fishermen.  Eventually I made to a hole I once caught my largest trout out of this river.

By this time the sun was starting to poke out and the fishing picked up.  On nearly every cast I was on a fish.  Some were landed.  Some came unglued.  All around fish boiled everywhere.  I kept with the nymphing even when my leader snapped.  I rerigged with it stared all again.  Fish after fish.  None of any impressive size but nonetheless it was fun.  Almost brainless fun.  For the next two hours or so I stayed here catching fish.  Seeing no reason to leave as the fish were willing to take.  I broke off a again and with all the fish taking blue wing olives I finally decided to rerig with a parachute BWO.  With a size 18 fly I had a hard time trying to see my fly I missed way too many fish.  I did have a hefty beast take my fly so hard he broke the leader.  I quit with fish still rising as I left Kaiser in the truck and was worried he might be getting lonely.

Having felt guilty for leaving Kaiser alone in the truck, I decided to see if we could get some more ducks.  I drove south and on the way down I look at field along the 395 that typically will hold elk when the mountains get snowed.  Sure enough a herd of five were feeding.  I could see at least two bulls.

I hit up some areas I missed the previous day as the snow made it too difficult to get into.  We saw nothing.  Not a single duck or quail. 

With those areas barren I moved down even more to the area I hunt the previous night.  Its pretty shocking how the day before the area was completely white with snow and within less than 24 hours its all gone. 

We worked the ditch with no luck.  I checked out some of the ponds nearby and saw a pair of gadwalls that there would have been no way to make a stalk on without alerting them.  Some I drove to an area that I hoped we could do some pass passing.

All we could manage was a jackrabbit.  I'll see if I can make it edible.  I'm thinking some sort of stew.  The fur will make some nice flies.

I decided to leave the Valley and head south.  I considered calling the trip short and head home.  I called some buddies to see if they wanted to meet me the next morning to hunt quail.  No takers.  I headed to a Mexican restaurant that Chul and Erika told me about and there I would decide whether or not to head home or the quail fields.  I chose to see how the quail held up after the dry season.

This trip was originally supposed to be a camping trip but after looking at the weather reports I choose to wuss out and motel it when I finally reached Bishop.  I did bring my camping gear so I was ready.  Not long ago I picked up a new tent and I wanted to try it out.  I made camp at a spot I knew was a good area to pitch a tent as it is flat and away from the road.  It took awhile but I slept like a log.

Hard Day But I Finally Get Rewarded

An exhausting day today.  Brutal actually.  The foul weather finally hit this section of the Eastern Sierras.  With that thought I figured the waterfowl would have been making their way south.   I talked to Bob the night before to get his input.  He suggested I go North and check out the a section that has in the past been productive after a storm.

I woke early so I'd be the first on the water.  When I was putting on my waders I noticed that I had a tear on the back just above the waistline.  Since I wouldn't be deep wading it would have no affect on this trip but Simms will be getting a package when I return.  It could have been worse I could have been one of these guys:

The Eastern Sierras can be unforgiving and brutal.  As was the day today.  I hit the water with high hopes as this section has been recommended to me by locals and by Bill Calhoun.  I've been here before but never had much success.  I'm starting to think these guys are leading off the path to keep me away from their honey holes.  Actually though I know this area is a quality spot, it's just not been kind to me.

I hiked all I could for just under three hours and saw nothing but dowitchers.  The infamous wind blew hard and burned as it hit my face.  Luckily I wore my scarf and wrapped it Taliban style around my face.  I had enough and decided to check out some nearby ponds.  They held nothing but some white shorebird that I could not recognize with my small binos.  I had forgot to bring my Minox for this trip so I had to make do with some less than ideal glasses.  With no birds in sight, I decided to see if I could get some revenge on the trout that always elude me in the Upper.

I loaded up my streamer rod and tied on a new fly I came up with a few weeks ago.  On my first three casts I was hit.  Hit hard.  Since I was fishing downstream and stripping it upstream I kept yanking the fly right out of their mouths.  One hit the fly so hard I saw his profile as it came out of the undercuts to attack my fly.

What monkey came here and fished salmon eggs?  I hope the warden caught this SOB.  This is a barbless artificial lures and flies only section of the river.


After about two hours of fishing I quit and the only action I saw was on the first three casts afterwards I had nothing.  Not even a strike.  It was nice to have the entire river all to myself though since this water is usually a circus with a fisherman at almost every bend.

I moved on to find some ducks.  I spent much of the day looking for birds.  The snow began to become more intense.  Visibility was becoming harder.  I checked several ponds and lakes that normally hold waterfowl.  Nothing.  I continued south to some areas I have had success.  But before I stopped by to say hi to Dave to check in and see how he's been.  After a brief conversation I headed off to my favorite ditch.  Dave let me know it might be good as there was no one hit the area all day.

Kaiser's First Mallard

Kaiser and I made our way and saw a bufflehead loafing in the water.  I really didn't want to take it some I let it fly away.  It flew off but unknowing to me it circled back to the water and when I saw it in the air not realizing it was the same bird I took a shot.  I thought it might have been a teal or something.  I need to study up my duck silhouettes.  The bird finally went down 100 yards away and Kaiser and I went after it and found it.  We moved back to the ditch and flushed two mallards.  I took a shot at the greenhead and missed the first shot and took him with the second.  I saw him go down 50 yards away.  So we crossed the ditch and started looking for him.  I found him and called Kaiser over for the retrieve.  When he tried to grab him the bird flushed again and I took two more shots to bring him down.  Kaiser managed the unassisted retrieve and brought him back.  Kaiser's first mallard.  I was pissed as I had the whole incident on the Contour camera but the snow had attached to the lens and obscures much of the video.

Coq Au Vin perfect for a cold wintery day.

I checked out another portion of the ditch and saw a few birds fly overhead.  Unfortunately they were out of range to make a comfortable shot.  Before I took off I made sure to stop by Dave's as he promised me some venison and antelope steaks from his hunt in Idaho. Afterwards I headed back to Bishop to a new motel and prepared dinner.  I grabbed the camping kitchen and set up shop in the room.  I'm sure it was not county ordinance approved but a gourmets got to do what a gourmets got to do. 

It was a brutal day all around.  I'm beat as I write this in the motel.  I'm sleeping in tomorrow and fishing, at least in the morning, and afterwards I may or may not hunt.  I may head home tomorrow or maybe stay another day or maybe make my way south and see how my quail spots have held up after all those dry months. 

If At First You Don't Suceed...

Back Again, This Time With The Pooch and My Favorite Duck Gun.

I'm back in the valley for a few days to see if I can come home with a duck or two, unlike the last busted trip.  Will all the driving, I only managed to hunt today for one hour before I lost the light.  With any luck and with all this much needed weather the waterfowl will be on the move.  Hopefully I can get my buddy Bob, who I met last year at one of these ponds, will come out and play one of these days whether for trout or ducks I really don't care.

Only in California does a hunter have sushi for dinner...CA Rolls, fake sushi at that.

Rejuvenated

Since I haven't smoked in ages, I've neglected my pipes.  I have over a dozen pipes not including the ones I inherited from my Grandpa and all of the stems have oxidized and are in need of treatment.  Most pipe stems are made of vulcanite, a hard rubber, that when smoked and left untreated will discolor.  Not only is this aesthetically displeasing, it also makes the pipe stem sour and foul tasting.  To rectify this the stem needs to be cleaned and buffed.  If not too oxidized, this can be done by hand but I choose to have my local tobacconist do it to my Peterson pipe as they have a buffing wheel and can do it relatively quickly.  

Before Pic.

After Pic: Good as New.

They Even Buffed Out the Band.

Ready to Smoke.

MVL A Bust. A Dink Apiece.

I Forgot To Give Me New Creation A Dip.

We hit Mission Viejo Lake to see if the "trout opener" got the bass into a feeding mood.  The lake was stocked last Thursday and again on Saturday.  We had hoped that the addition of trout to the lake would get the Big Ole Bass to come out and get on some real protein.  On my first cast I managed a 9 inch dink juvenile bass.  Nothing for the rest of the two hours we fished.  Chul lost a couple trout and finally got a dink bass roughly the same size as mine to hand.  Frustrating.  We were told that the trout stocking was not very successful as the trout were mishandled and a good percentage of them died. 

For The Gourmand On The Move

The Nobashi Ready To Eat

With Christmas around the corner, it maybe time for some to start looking for ideas for gifts or stocking stuffers.  MontBell currently has older model Japanese made Nobashi travel chopsticks on sale for $10.20.  

Each End Of The Nobashi

These Nobashi chopsticks are a self enclosed unit. The laminated wood is hidden within the stainless steel casing.   Unlike Snow Peak's version, where it is two pieces and needs to be reassembled for each use and disassembled for storage, these chopsticks are a one piece system which allows ease of use and also helps prevent loss.  One end is open for retracting of the wood portion and collapses within where it is stored and the other end is closed with a cap to prevent the wood from slipping out.  The cap can be removed to allow complete disassembly for easy cleaning.  To use the Mont Bell version all is needed to let the wooded section fall out and then twist to lock it in place. 

Two Different Travel Chopsticks And Their Cases

Years ago when the Snow Peak chopsticks hit the US shores, outdoor magazines were writing about how innovative or unique these eating utensils are and were all the craze, the fact is portable chopsticks are nothing new.  Asians have been carrying these for years long before it was fashionable.  While environmentally conscientious people will claim these chopstick will save bamboo trees, in Asia the reasons aren't as honorable as being "green" but for more practical hygienic reasons.  Disposable bamboo can be hazardous as they are treated heavily with bleach and other chemicals.  Also eating with non-disposable chopsticks in night stalls can be at times less than hygienic. 

These are a pair of metal portables that my mother gave me years ago.  The chopsticks are inconspicuously encased in a tube similar to that of a pen with a clip to attach to a pocket. 

The second half of it is stored within the top half of the chopstick just like the Mont Bell but unlike the Nobashis, these are spring loaded for rapid deployment.

The top of the chopsticks contain a button to engage the spring to dislodge second half of the sticks similar to a stiletto knife.

Full extended and ready to eat.  The spring loaded feature is a good way to either impress someone or have them tease you.  These are definitely conversation starters with non-Asians, they look more kung fu movie than eating utensil.



Opinel - A French Classic

After years and years I have finally picked up a Opinel knife.  I was first introduced to these knives over a decade ago when I was browsing the kitchen tools bins at my local Williams Sonoma.  For whatever reason I never bought the knife then on the spot. I have now rectified that mistake.

The Opinel is simple knife from France synonymous with French culture and style.  Opinel's have a long history, invented in 1890 as a peasant's knife, the knife now has reached iconic status.  Pablo Picasso used an Opinel knife for carving sculptures.  In America it is referred to as "The French Knife."  In 1985 the Victoria and Albert Museum in London selected it as part of an exhibit for the “100 most beautiful products in the world", alongside the Porsche 911.  The New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) also selected it as a design masterpiece.

The Locking Mechanism On Open

Knife Now Locked

Construction is simple and quite ingenious.  Only five components are needed to make this knife, the blade, wooden handle, clamping band, stainless pivot pin, and the locking collar.  The knife can be locked closed or open. 

The Heel Used For The Savoie Strike.

Handle materials range from wood to bone to plastics.  The traditional is beechwood. This wood is lightely finished and so is susceptible to humidity conditions resulting in difficulty in opening.  Many modify their knives unnecessarily.  The handle is designed for the "Coup du Savoyard," or "Savoie strike," which is a technique used to releasing a tight blade.  If you hold the knife in reverse with the blade opening facing outward, smack the lower extended portion of the handle against a hard surface.  Doing so will jar the blade out.

"Coup du Savoyard"

While inexpensive this knife is hardly cheap.  I have chosen a stainless blade (carbon blades are available) which is made of Sandvik 12C27M which is the same steel as other higher end blades are made such as my Laguiole.  Opinels come in various sizes and numbered from smallest to largest.   Locking mechanism are standard for all models above number 6.

This maybe a beater knife but that does not mean this knife is garbage.  These knives can be found on the internet for less than what you pay for lunch, as little as $8 a piece.  It's lightweight nature makes this a good backpacking knife.  If you lose it or misplace it, they are easily replaceable. 

If you have a penchant for wood carving the handles make excellent canvasses.  Many even use Opinels to carve into another.  Here are an example of what can be done by a skilled artisan that was available here:

I need to learn wood carving because that is some cool stuff.