Smoke

Here is this week's fishing report for Nevada, Northern California and Sierra area rivers, lakes and streams. Fall colors are around the corner for the Sierra and Lake Tahoe region. Enjoy the fishing while the weather is still good and don't forget to pack your sunscreen and fishing license. This report is for the week of Sept. 5-11.

ADOBE POND, CALIF:
Tom Loe of Sierra Drifters Fly Fishing Guide Service (760-935-4250) (www.sierradrifters.com) reports:

This is the first in a three-part series of articles about my second, fly-in, trout fishing trip to Mitchell Lake, which is located in the Cariboo Mountains Provincial Park in British Columbia.
This three-part series will consist of:
Series No. 1: The flight from Dayton, Nevada to Mitchell Lake, B.C.,
Series No. 2: The people, accommodations and meals at the lake,
Series No. 3: The trout fishing.

How the trip originated:
It began about three weeks ago, when my first-cousin’s husband (Bob Scholes of Dayton) asked if I was interested in returning to Mitchell Lake.

Every day you see a few more walkers hitting the sidewalks. They travel in packs, that way they can intimidate the non-walkers, the dogs, and all non-fitness types that are driving instead of walking, and I applaud the tenacity it takes to buck the wind, smoke, dirt, and exhaust fumes. Walking is an easy, quick way to accomplish exercise and it’s always available. It builds cardiovascular endurance, it builds muscle strength in the legs and it burns fat. And, there are a lot of people out there who could do with a little more "burned fat"...

The weather was hot, and so was the racing action at Fernley 95A Speedway last Saturday night. The Hobby Stock division led off, with Tom Haxall of Verdi taking the lead from pole and building a margin over Sun Valley’s Rick Miller and Jake Baker of Reno. Carl Barlow of Silver Springs, who won from the back of the field two weeks ago, wasted no time charging through the field to second place. Newcomer Haxall didn’t realize that the track rules call for racing back to the yellow, so when the first caution came out for two cars spinning in turn two, he lost the lead to Barlow.

Not really, but it is nice to get some mid-summer rain. I'm sure the firefighters working on the Springs Fire east of Gardnerville are happy for the showers. And the rain did a nice job of taking the smoke out of the air. Carsonweather.com reports that we have had .09 inches of rain so far today. What a way to start a week.

The weather was cool and the track fast as nearly 70 racecars competed at Fernley 95A Speedway on Saturday, June 9.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies arrested Anthony John Chappa, 24, a Carson City resident, just prior to 11 p.m. Wednesday. Chappa was arrested for felony allegations of possession of methamphetamines and possession of methamphetamines with the intent to sell, as well as the misdemeanor allegations of driving without proof of insurance, driving with fictitious registration, driving without headlights, and speeding from 1 to 10 over.

It’s that time of the year to pick up your copy of a widely-distributed and widely-read annual publication known as “Fishing The California Alps.”
That outdoor newspaper is your personal guide to the fishing, camping, sightseeing and vacationing world in our general area and it has many, many pages of in-depth information provided by lots of experts in their specific areas of knowledge and experience.
Be sure to use this 2012 edition as your handy and ready-to-use guide on what, when, where and how to enjoy the Great Outdoors.

Three of us (Don Hettrick, Bob “Slick” McCulloch and I) are back, safe and sound in Carson City after being contestants in the 16th annual Topaz Lake invitational fishing derby, which is sponsored by John Riordan.
That derby was held on Sunday-Monday-Tuesday, April 22-23-24, and it attracted some 70 fishermen from Nevada and California.
This year for the first time in history, the derby had a brand new fish category (bass) in addition to the regular trout category.
When the smoke and dust cleared after three days of fishing by all of the contestants, these were the 2012 winners:

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s insurance carriers have reported to the Nevada Division of Insurance (Division) that they have received around 1,100 claims as a result of the Caughlin Ranch and Washoe Drive fires. The dollar amount of these claims, mostly due to fire, wind or smoke damage is approaching $35 million.

These insurance claim estimates show the dangers of wildfire. Nevadans should take action during Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week (NWAW) to prepare their homes and evaluate their insurance to prepare for wildfire season.

The Nevada Division of Forestry is conducting prescribed burns at Tunnel Creek in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park backcountry from March through May, 2012, weather permitting.
The Tunnel Creek road, from State Route 28 to Tunnel Creek Station may be closed in order to conduct the burns.
Signs will be posted throughout the area when burns are being conducted.
Nearly 100 acres are being treated in 15 separate phases.
The burns are part of ongoing fuels treatment and forest restoration efforts in the Lake Tahoe area.

Prescribed fires are planned beginning Monday at various Lake Tahoe basin locations, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The controlled burns are planned for Kingsbury Grade near North Benjamin in Douglas County, the Logan Creek area; north of Emerald Bay; Kings Beach and McKinney Bay near Homewood.

Twenty percent of adults in Nevada said they smoke, but of those, 40 percent say they have considered quitting or would like to take action to quit smoking. The New Year brings a chance to act on the desire to quit. Why not make your health a priority this year and resolve to quit smoking?

A prescribed fire on Upper Kingsbury Grade conducted two weeks ago rekindled, touching off about 14 acres before it was fully contained late this morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

"The fire is 100 percent contained," said spokeswoman Cheva Heck.

Fire crews respond to the rekindling off Andria Drive on Kingsbury Grade, near Stateline. Three Forest Service crews and two engines responded. Cold weather and high winds had created difficult conditions for firefighters and interfered with the ability to pump water from engines.

The winter holidays are a time for celebration with family and friends, and that means more cooking, entertaining, home decorating and an increased risk of home fires due to increased usage of cooking and heating equipment. Most home fires and injuries occur in the kitchen as reported by the U.S. Fire Administration. Here are some simple and easy life-saving tips from the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District to remember during the holiday season:

Cooking Fire Safety:

RENO - A cloud of grayish-white smoke settled over upscale homes and horse pastures at Reno's edge Friday as firefighters from across Nevada came close to taming a sudden wildfire that sent 16 p...

Here is the latest video report from KRNV:

Update 11:53 a.m.: Congressmen Mark Amodei (NV-2) and Joe Heck (NV-3) released the following joint statement regarding the Caughlin Ranch fire:
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this disaster. We are in contact with the Governor’s office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, D.C. to offer guidance and assistance in providing resources to address the emergency. We are coordinating efforts to ensure the Prepositioned Equipment Program (PEP) located in Las Vegas is prepared to deploy and assist with controlling the fire if needed. Anyone wishing to make financial contributions to help the victims of this disaster may do so through the Red Cross."

Update 10 a.m: The State of Nevada, Washoe County and the City of Reno have declared a state of emergency. More than 9,500 people have been evacuated, according to City of Reno spokesman Chris Good. The 400-plus-acre fire is still zero percent contained. As of now, Galena High School is the evacuation point. If that fills up, Damonte Ranch High School will be the next evacuation point. Go here for the latest from UNR's Nevada Sagebrush and here from MyNews4.com.

Update 8:15: Fire now officially named Caughlin Fire.

Update 7:11 a.m.: KRNV is on the air talking with Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez who is saying they have lost about 20 homes so far, and the strong winds are a big problem. He also said the winds are so strong that there is no way to get air attacks on this fire.

An Emergency 211 number is being set up to provide better information for Reno residents.

A wind-driven wildfire has burned more than 400 acres and has consumed at least six homes in the Caughlin Ranch area in southwest Reno this morning. The Pine Haven fire broke out around 12:30 this morning and thousands have been told to evacuate. Residents are being evacuated to Reno High School, the designated area for evacuations. Fire agencies from the Carson City and Carson Valley areas are responding as are from the Lake Tahoe area. Power is out to at least 1,000 homes in the area, according to NV Energy.
Flames are threatening homes near Manzanita Lane and Dant Boulevard, and police officers were going to residences to evacuate residents. An officer went to the house of a panicking Kathy Harrah. The officer told her to take a deep breath and said "you are fairly safe," as she and her two sons, John and Kody, grabbed items and put them into their truck. "I have been watching the fire all night. I didn't know it was going to get this bad," she told the Reno Gazette-Journal before ordering her son to rip a computer out of a wall. The area was thick with smoke that hung over over Manzanita. Flames in the canyon below Manzanita shot up dozens of feet in the air as they hit brush. Go here and here for story.

Videos of the fire

Map of fire area

He doesn't smoke or drink or swear. He was an Eagle Scout and the state PTA president. His priority is being a good father for his five children and a good husband for Susan, his wife of 28 years.

And at a time when the ethics and credibility of politicians seem to be waning, this man is a politician who espouses principles, a politician rising quickly in clout in Nevada.

State Sen. Moises "Mo" Denis, D-Las Vegas, is the shoo-in to become the Democratic leader and probable majority leader of the state Senate during the next legislative session in 2013.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews are scheduled to resume prescribed fire operations on Kingsbury Grade near South Shore and on the West Shore near the Tahoe Heights area today, Wednesday, November 09, 2011, weather permitting. Both project areas are small, approximately two acres. Operations may continue through the week.

A truck with a suspended registration led to the arrest of a Dayton man for felony possession of more than one ounce of marijuana.

Bob and Lorraine (my cousin) Scholes of Dayton plus Elaine and I just returned from a six week vacation trip to Italy, Sicily and Switzerland. It was the Scholes’ second trip to Italy and our first-ever trip.
Lorraine’s father was born in Ponte Buggianese and my Dad was born in Lucca, and we both wanted to visit where our roots began.
We left on August 30, flew from Reno to Denver to Montreal to Rome and then returned from Rome to Zurich to San Francisco to Reno on October 12. Here are a bunch of our memories:

The American Dollar and the European Euro:

By Sam Bauman
First time I went to Burning Man on the Black Rock playa, I slept in my SUV. Not bad but second and third it was in my tent, a very gritty and uncomfortable week. Fourth I weaseled my way into a friend's a fold-out trailer, which was better. But from then on I teamed up with a retired airline pilot, who had a nice 27-foot Winnebago. Four of us the first three times, just two the last.

Today, firefighters throughout the region continue to battle the Buckeye Fire, five miles west of Bridgeport. The Buckeye Fire started yesterday, September 25, 2011 around 11 a.m.

No structures have been lost and no injuries have been reported. Firefighters have been faced with steep terrain and changing wind conditions making it a difficult fire to contain. As of this morning the size of the fire is estimated to be approximately 1,200 acres. At the time of this release there is no estimate on when containment will occur. The investigation of the cause of the fire is still ongoing.

BLACK ROCK CITY, Nev. — By 9 p.m. Saturday night most of the sold-out house of 50,000 Burners at the Burning Man main event on the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach were gathered around the perimeter fence surrounding the 40-foot-tall effigy standing atop a pyramid of wood construction.

A Carson City man was arrested early Saturday morning after he allegedly had a juvenile female in his vehicle hide 22 grams of methamphetamine in her bra.

According to the arrest report, deputies were in the Carson River Road area checking out a report of a possible homicide. A woman reported that she and her friend were hitchhiking, and ended up at an abandoned house in the area with two male subjects. The woman said she ran away after hearing a gunshot, fearing that her friend had been killed.

The smoke plume that rose above Carson Valley most of the week was absent on Friday morning, indicating that the Ray May fire had finally laid down.After a long night with reasonably light winds an...

Here is this week's fishing report for Northern Nevada, Northern California, Southern Oregon and the Sierra. The following report is for the week of Aug. 17-23.

Taken at sunset from the Mexican Ditch, looking south across Buzzy's Ranch.
Pinion hills in center and left. Prison Hill is to the right.

Fire crews are finishing up work on a small brush fire that broke out on the east side of Carson City, south of Highway 50 East.

A Nevada Division of Forestry helicopter was seen dropping several loads of water on the area after personnel from Carson City Fire Department and the Bureau of Land Management contained the fire on the ground. There were no structures visible near the fire.

When it first started, a big column of smoke was visible throughout the city, and reports at the time said it is more than one acre and spreading toward Rifle Range Road.

Here is the Northern Nevada, Northern California, Southern Oregon and the high Sierra fishing report
For the week of August 10-17: