Outdoors

Three hunting TV personalities with local ties will help a Northern Nevada outdoorsman store raise money for the nonprofit group Nevada Outdoorsmen in Wheelchairs with an adventure trek covering about 54 miles in a friendly competition.

Fourth of July on the Comstock rocks. Virginia City offers one of the region’s longest firework displays. Echoing off Mt. Davidson for nearly 30 minutes, you'll feel the boom in your bones this July 4 as the fireworks soar high above the town and into Six Mile Canyon, making it visible from nearly anywhere in town.

California has two Free Fishing Days in 2014 which are close to holidays. The first is Saturday, July 5, aligned with the Independence Day holiday weekend, and the second is Sept. 6, right around the time of Labor Day.

Last week, I wrote about the strong possibility of poor fishing this summer due to our prolonged drought period.
In addition to the possibility of poor fishing, be aware of the ever-increasing, serious fire danger surrounding us because of our current long daylight hours, hot weather, gusty afternoon winds, low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and dumb acts by humans. Not a good combination.

With July just around the corner, unless something dramatic and unforeseen happens in the future, 2014 has all the earmarks of being a very poor fishing summer because of our ongoing drought.

Our sparse Sierra Nevada snowpack from last winter is gone, the spring run-off was almost non-existent, and that is bad news for fishing this summer in our streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes and reservoirs.

Hello fellow anglers. The weather is hot and the fishing action is catching up. Last week Renee and I took a few days to fish Alpine County. We camped at Indian Creek and ventured out to neighboring areas.

The action good and bad will be revealed in your local fishing report. The best fishing I have to tell you about though, was when I was not fishing at all. We came back late Saturday evening to make sure to be rested for the following day's event.

Elaine and I just returned from a three-day, two-night, mini vacation at Parchers Resort in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, west of Bishop, Calif.

The purpose of our visit was to enjoy the cozy cabin accommodations at Parchers, plus the late spring weather, spectacular scenery and the peace and quiet in that general area. Here's some miscellaneous info on our trip:

In celebration of the Silver State’s Sesquicentennial, and in conjunction with National Get Outdoors Day, residents and visitors are invited to “Discover Nevada State Parks” on Saturday, June 14.

Park visitors will receive free day use admission and free fishing (no license required) at all of Nevada’s 23 State Parks. In addition, the first 150 vehicles at each park on June 14 will receive a complimentary deck of commemorative Nevada Heritage playing cards provided by Nevada’s State Historic Preservation Office and its partners.

It’s official: Systems Consultants, the private computer firm in Fallon that conducts the annual computerized drawings for Nevada’s big game hunting tags, has posted the results of the 2014 drawings at its website for the entire world to see.

Memorial Day weekend is nearly here, the weather is forecast to be gorgeous and for countless folks in this general area, it will be their first big outdoor adventure of 2014.

So where to go on that weekend? Well, be advised that no matter where you go (unless it is to some God forsaken location in the middle of nowhere), you can expect to encounter big crowds of people also wanting to enjoy an outdoor outing for the holiday.

Thursday, May 8 was my birthday, and Elaine had arranged two unforgettable, secret surprises for me as a present.

She had previously asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told her, "Heck, I have everything I want, let's go to the cabin with Jim and Kathi (our son and daughter-in-law) and have a quiet steak and lobster dinner up there."

The Quilici Cabin is located on a steep hillside between Portola and Davis Lake in Plumas County, California, and we like to go there as often as we can to enjoy the accommodations, scenery, wildlife and peace and quiet.

Prepare and sample delicious Dutch oven recipes at Lahontan State Recreation Area this Saturday, May 17, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The park will provide all ingredients and supplies for a five course meal, including dessert. This is a family friendly event for all ages which provides ideas for fun ways to cook outdoors during camping trips or get togethers. Sign up by calling 775-867-3500. The class includes a complementary cookbook and a raffle prize.

WHAT: Dutch Oven Cooking Class and Demonstration

WHEN: Saturday, May 17 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Join park rangers for a leisurely spring wildflower walk through Washoe Valley. Discover some of the many beautiful wildflowers in bloom on this two mile, moderate walk starting at the main boat ramp. Phlox, Daisies, Lupine, and many more wildflowers will be highlighted on this walk.

It’s that time of the year again for a widely-distributed and widely-read, outdoor publication known as “Fishing The California Alps.”

That annual newspaper is your personal guide to the fishing, camping, sightseeing and vacationing world in this part of the west, and it has many pages of detailed, in-depth information provided by experts in their specific areas of knowledge and experience.

Now that the California 2014 fishing season is open, this is a special reminder that if you are planning to fish in the Golden State, be aware that you will need the current license.

You can purchase that license and any applicable stamps at a number of local outlets or on the Internet and, of course, go here for the latest updates on fishing in California and Nevada. If you need to buy a license and stamps, here is some info:

Opening day of fishing in California is Saturday, April 26 and while thousands of anglers will be looking for their own sweet spots along rivers, lakes, reservoirs and streams, there is little doubt that most favorite waterways have been affected by the ongoing drought.

This is a final reminder that if you're one of many tens of thousands of big game hunters interested in drawing a 2014 hunting tag for Pronghorn Antelope, Black Bear, Mule Deer, California Bighorn Sheep, Desert (Nelson) Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Elk and Rocky Mountain Goat in the State of Nevada, now is the time to submit your application(s) to hunt one or more of the species listed above.

Hello fellow anglers. Well here we are only two weeks away from the California opening day fishing season. This when most lakes, rivers and streams open for the year, and some rivers change limit and tackle regulations.
Check your regulations before you go fishing to know these changes.

Outdoors photographers looking to capture the majesty of the Sierra Nevada or the splendor of Lake Tahoe might want to check to see if they're in a Nevada State Park before they whip out a smartphone or digital camera.

Changes to the way state parks regulate commercial photography have some photographers worried they could get slapped with fees — or worse — just because they aimed a lens at the wrong vista.

Monday, April 7 was the day that Elaine and I went trout fishing, and it was also the day that things did not go my way, again, as usual. The previous day, I asked her if she would like to go fishing at Indian Creek Reservoir in nearby Alpine County, Calif.

She replied that she wasn't interested, because it was a Sunday and the reservoir would probably be crowded with shore and boat fishermen.

The Wild West Motorsports Park will host two Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series events this summer, showcasing northern Nevada as a premier racing site and giving fans double the action.

The Lucas Oil Series announced that Wild West Motorsports Park will host weekend races May 30-31 in addition to the race planned for Aug. 22-23. This is the third year in a row Wild West Motorsports Park has hosted a Lucas Oil Off Road Race and the first time there has been two races in one season.

Lyon County, Nevada was the fastest-growing county in the United States prior to the 2008 economic collapse took one of the biggest hits statewide in the foreclosure crisis. The state overall was one of the hardest hit nationally and the housing market is still in recovery.
A glimmer of hope was seen in 2013, as home values headed up while foreclosure rates headed down, according to a report from the Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Passionate outdoorsmen recently formed the newest Pheasants Forever chapter in Nevada, known as the Great Basin Pheasants Forever chapter. The group will focus its attention on habitat improvements, increasing pheasant populations, and youth outdoor participation in the Great Basin area.  

The Great Basin chapter was drawn to Pheasants Forever’s unique model, which empowers county and local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent.

This week's outdoor article is about two special friends in the Far North, Barry and Susan Drury who live in Watson Lake in the Yukon.

Elaine and I first met them a number of years ago in downtown Anchorage, Alaska as a result of Barry and I both being active members of an outdoor website, Modernsportsman.

Since that initial, get-acquainted, Anchorage lunch, Barry has visited us at our home in Carson City and at our cabin near Davis Lake, Calif.

This is a reminder that if you're one of many tens of thousands of big game hunters interested in drawing a 2014 hunting tag for Pronghorn Antelope, Black Bear, Mule Deer, California Bighorn Sheep, Desert (Nelson) Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Elk and Rocky Mountain Goat in the State of Nevada, be advised it is now time to submit your application(s) to hunt one or more of the big game species.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of March 19-25, 2014.

ADOBE POND, CALIF:
Closed until Saturday, April 26, 2014.

ALMANOR LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:
Fishermen are reporting that the north fork is a bit clearer.
You may have fair catches from Canyon Dam to Lake Cove this week.
Courtesy of Almanor Fishing Adventures.

ANGEL LAKE, ELKO COUNTY, NEV:

If you're getting tired of our winter cold, frost, ice and snow (what little we have received so far), you might want to consider a vacation trip to Hawaii.

Elaine and I, our son Jim, daughter-in-law Kathi and my cousin Lorraine Scholes and her husband Bob just returned, earlier this week, from a fun-filled 14-day vacation trip to Honolulu on the Island of Oahu (4 days) and to Poipu on the Island of Kauai (10 days).

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of March 11-17, 2014:

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of March 6-12, 2014.

Carson's City’s ultimate haven for relaxation and self-care — Paradise Salon, Spa & Wellness — is celebrating its grand opening on March 27, 28 & 29. Join us for the festivities. There will be lots of events and lots of prizes.

Each day we will be giving away a $2400.00 GRAND PRIZE for one year of unlimited FAR infrared sauna day passes ~ or ~ one year of unlimited therapy pool day passes, as well as many other services and products. Come in and fill out your entry form.