Chilean Patagonia II

I just got back from a trip down to the Chilean side of Patagonia. I'll be posting many images in the days to come from the trip. I stayed at Los Torreones Lodge with Pancho Salas and his family who let me into their day to day lives. The trip was incredible beyond just the fishing and without the kindness and generosity of Pancho's entire family I would never have seen many aspects of life in Patagonia.

A typical Patagonia dirt road near Los Torrenes Lodge.

Guide Sebastian Salas, after putting us on a rising rainbow, rowed the pontoon boat over to a patch of sweet yellow raspberries. Sebastian was born and raised in the Simpson River Valley in Patagonia. He is one of three brothers who guide this area.

When something needs to get done, it gets done. Pancho Salas gives his son Sebastian a hand at shoeing a horse.

The ubiquitous ibises. Their call could be and can be heard from all over Chilean Patagonia.

Matte. While it's not as de rigueur as in Argentina, it's still consumed a bunch in Patagonia.

Pancho Salas nets a rainbow at the end of a great and long Chilean summer day.

The FlyFish Journal

Below is a small image appearing in the Winter issue (7.2) of The FlyFish Journal. It's of a South Island, New Zealand river at the end of the first day of a great trip. The sand flies incidentally, were gluttons on this piece of water. After three or four days of having the tops of my hands obliterated by these little bastards I finally converted a pair of socks into sand fly resistant gloves...

The FlyFish Journal issue 7.2

Big Wood River Winter Fishing

We just finished up with a storm that dropped nearly 20" of new snow. The snow is great for many things including just playing in it... I was able to get out on the Big Wood River for a few hours yesterday while it was coming down pretty hard.

Guide Zac Mayhew getting in a little winter-time casting on the Big Wood River, Idaho.

Carey, Idaho

Below are two images from today. For years now I have been intrigued with homes in small towns. The image below is of an old single story apartment row in Carey, Idaho.

Another place I have been fascinated by is Craters of the Moon. It's really quite close to where I live yet I have never been really satisfied with any one image I have taken there. It's a hostile environment in so many ways. Windy. It's almost always windy there and today was no exception. The bottom image was taken today at Craters of the Moon.

Apartments. Carey, Idaho.

Craters of the Moon.

Used Sage Fly Rods Plus a Few Others

I am helping someone sell her collection of used factory built fly rods. Below is a listing of what is available. All rods come with a tube and sock. I'm happy to ship to USA addresses. Buyer would pay for shipping. Email nickpricephotography@gmail.com for inquiries:

  • Sage 790-4 RPL+ (9 foot 7 weight 4 piece)  $125 SOLD
  • Orvis 107-4 Tip Flex Zero Gravity (10 foot 7 weight 4 piece) $100 -- Original owner's name is on this rod.
  • Sage 896-4 RPL (9 foot 6 inch 8 weight 4 piece) $125
  • Powell Tiburon 908-4 (9 foot 8 weight 4 piece) $125 SOLD
  • Sage SLT 389-4 (8 foot 9 inch 3 weight 4 piece) $150 SOLD
  • Sage 589-5 SP (8 foot 9 inch 5 weight 5 piece) $300 -- This rod comes with an extra tip section. Also, it comes with a rod tube and sock but the label on the Sage Rod tube is for a slightly different Sage model. SOLD
  • Thomas & Thomas VE 905-6 Vector (9 foot 5 weight 6 piece) $200 SOLD
  • Sage 490-4 RPL+ (9 foot 4 weight 4 piece) $125 SOLD
  • Sage 690-5 SP (9 foot 6 weight 5 piece) $250 -- This rod comes with an extra tip section. SOLD
  • Scott G904 (9 foot 4 weight 2 piece) $100 -- Original owner's name is on this rod
  • Scott G2 885/4 (8 foot 8 inch 5 weight 4 piece) $225 -- This rod is brand new. Plastic is still on the cork handle. Trout Unlimited is also written on the rod as are measuring points up to 20". SOLD
  • Scott G956/4A (9 foot 6 inch 6 weight 4 piece) $150
  • Sage 690-4 XP (9 foot 6 weight 4 piece) $200 SOLD
  • Orvis 9' #5 ZG Helios (9 foot 5 weight 4 piece Zero Gravity Helios) $175 -- Rod comes with leather over the aluminum tube and Trout Unlimited is inscribed on the rod. SOLD
  • Winston BIIX 9'6" #7 (9 foot 6 inch 7 weight 4 piece) $395 -- TU is inscribed on the rod.

Also:

  • G.H Howells Rod Co.  8 1/2' #5 Line, 2 piece, Split Bamboo Fly Rod. Comes with two tip sections. Serial #4824. This serial number implies this was his 24th rod made at 48 years old. Gary Howell built rods for Winston Rod Co. in his early and mid-thirties. This rod is in the original tube with the original sock. It is in immaculate condition with both tip sections as they were originally built.

Price $3,200

Click on any of the images below to enlarge

Carey Pradis

I said it and it was a slip. Maybe it was midnight and it was still warm and elk were bugling in the distance and coyotes were yapping their victory song. Headlights adorned our foreheads. The moon was half full and starlight reflected of off Silver Creek. John and I shared a rod and skated a mouse pattern over the slow moving current, each time trying to cast to a new spot. Most fishermen were asleep or reading in bed. We caught fish too. I meant to say, "prairie caddis," and out came, "Carey Pradis." It's Runny Babbit sort of talk...

I feel pretty lucky to spend an entire day guiding Silver Creek and then take a quick break and then head out mouse fishing for another five or so hours.

John Huber lets a cast run after sunset.

Starlight on Silver Creek.

A nice brown fooled by a one-eyed tailless mouse pattern.