Are there trout in hell? We find out this weekend…

Dust off the asbestos waders, it’s hot up here! Forecasts are calling for temps in the 100+ neighborhood (that’ s not a good neighborhood), and reports from the river suggest our “morning and night” pattern might be going into suspended animation. Chris Raine reports few bugs on his usually reliable evening spots. The lakes, baby. Lakes.

Whining seen on Internet. Who could have guessed?

Larry Tullis recently posted a note on the Fly Fishermen board bemoaning the state of fly fishing publishing today. I picked up on the thread via the irreverent Ass Hooked Whitey blog, the writer of which seems to have a better grasp of the state of publishing than Mr. Tullis. I posted a response on page 2 of the thread, but all the whining by “insiders” aside, it did force me to look at my reasons for writing the Trout Underground - and why I’m sinking my energy into it instead of the essay book I first considered writing.

Honestly, I believe our small-but-passionate community of fanatics is the key. I may still write that essay book, but I get a kick out of every comment and post that goes up here. Where else would I get to trade posts and comments with the likes of Ian Rutter, Sully, etc, while avoiding the “cesspool of content” clogging the message boards? Enough said.

And now, fishing.

I’m not making any promises, but I’ve got three fishing plans in the hopper. There are the ever-aggressive smallies on Lake Siskiyou (a pleasant float tube evening), a couple hike-in alpine lakes, and a river-based long-shot that I am not going to tell you about here. If it pays off, it pays off big.

The hot weather really tends to limit your choices, but it’s no reason to stand on the brakes. Get out and fish.

Today’s Underground Entertainment

To see what a real fishercreature looks like (one that doesn’t need split shot or high modulus graphite), simply visit our friends at GetOutdoors and watch bears catch salmon after salmon - live on the the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary live WebCam.

Finally, do you love mosquitos? No? GetOutdoors provides us with information that mosquitos might love you because of your genes (the kind your parents gave you, not the pants). Comforting to know that - even as the little bloodsuckers infest you with West Nile virus - it’s one more thing you can blame on your parents… See you somewhere cooler, Tom Chandler