It’s Monday Weirdness at the Trout Underground
By Tom Chandler on Mar 19, 2007 in Underground Entertainment
Let’s face it. Mondays are weird. Just weird.
Making Monday weirder was last night’s insomnia, which is painting today with a truly surreal cast.
I’m on a deadline right now, so I’m tossing a few steaks into the Undergrounder’s cage, and running like hell for the zoo exit. Enjoy.
Want to See the Last Sweetwater Trout? Better Look Fast.
The last surviving Sweetwater Rainbow trout is swimming in a tank in San Diego, and if you want to see what it looks like, you’d better visit this page… fast.
Jim Baird, Union-Tribune
It’s the only remnant of a population of Sweetwater trout that were wiped out by a grass fire (and habitat loss).
The Upper Sweetwater contained native rainbows until October 2003, when a lost and inexperienced hunter set a signal fire that mushroomed into the largest wildfire in California history.
How’s that for an “outdoorsman?” He gets lost, and then sets a signal fire that extincts a species. Not a good day.
Attempts to breed the handful of remaining trout failed. One male is left, and that, my friends, is one lonely trout.
A $25,000 Fishing Trip? In Montana?
Ready to bid a minimum of $25,000 for the chance to fish with Intel Chairman Craig Barret?
Me neither. But let’s just assume you’ve got that kind of dosh. And you’re dying to spend it. From Information Week:
The highest bidder and a guest will receive a three-day, two-night stay in a private cabin at the Triple Creek Ranch at the base of Montana’s Bitterroot Range. The winner will have the chance to go fly-fishing and horseback riding with Barrett and join him for a gourmet meal.
The minimum bid is $25,000 and bidders must prequalify. Bidding will open April 16 and close April 26. Proceeds will go to the National Forest Foundation and its efforts to conserve forests, watersheds, wildlife habitat, and recreational resources.
Oh. You get to go horseback riding too. Hell, why didn’t anyone say so?
Helium Web Site Full of Hot Air
On another big-dollar note (and from the “No Surprise At All” Department), last week I left a non-vulgar, respectful comment at the bottom of the Donny Beaver Interview page at the Helium site which mentioned the private (and spendy) Spring Ridge Club’s tendency to illegally prevent public access to public water… and viola!
It still hasn’t appeared.
It appears comments are welcome at the Helium site, as long as they’re fawning positive lies they’re not.
We’re shocked. And we’re sure you are too.
See you on the river (and I mean it this time), Tom Chandler.
Technorati Tags: fly fishing, spring ridge club, sweetwater trout
Larry Swearingen | Mar 19, 2007 | Reply
Yes, that is one lonely little trout but it is hightly
doubtful that it was of native stock. The mountain area
of San Diego County has been heavily stocked in the past. At least according to some old-timers in the San
Diego Fly Fishers. Even I remember Sweetwater and Green river being planted in Cuyamaca State Park in the 70’s.
Incidentally that was a little more than a “grass fire”.
It seemed like HALF of Southern Cali was on fire for 3 days. About 2000 houses and 13 lives lost. I was returning from a Great Western Rodmakers Gathering at Chuck Irvines shop in Bishop that Sunday and it took me two full days and 800 miles of driving to finally get home. My wife and daughter had to evacuate two times before fianlly getting to go home. Luckily our house was safe but a lot of others weren’t so lucky.
Larry Swearingen
San Diego
ijsouth | Mar 19, 2007 | Reply
Wow…and I thought Katrina was bad…at least we had only one (long) evacuation, and as far as I know, it didn’t kill off any species - in fact, the fishing was better than normal the next year - not as many boats (and fishermen) chasing the fish.
Tom Chandler | Mar 19, 2007 | Reply
Larry: In my time as a newspaper photographer I shot several Santa Ana-fired SoCal brush fires, including the Malibu fire in the early 80s (that actually started the day before in Simi Valley).
The closest I’d expect you could come to hell on earth. At one point a fire blew up around the fire crew I was with. Dead birds feel from the sky, panicked bugs flew and bit everything they landed on, and a whorl of flame went up a couple hundred feet.
You can have it, really.
kbarton10 | Mar 20, 2007 | Reply
The highest bidder and a guest will receive a three-day, two-night stay in a private cabin at the Railroad Park Resort at the base of California’s Cascade Range. The winner will have the chance to go fly-fishing and dog rescuing with Tom Chandler and join him for a gourmet meal (half of which must be shared with Wally the Wonderdog).
The minimum bid is $0.25 and bidders must prequalify by posting fishing haiku or a revealing Paris Hilton picture. Bidding will open April 16 and close April 26. Proceeds will go to the Pizzle for Nestle Foundation and its efforts to conserve forests, watersheds, wildlife habitat, and hot cocoa.
Tom Chandler | Mar 20, 2007 | Reply
Haiku again? That’s it. I’m organizing a contest. And gourmet? Ha! Microwaved Amiratti’s burritos, followed by slaw dogs for dessert…