There are times you don't know if you should laugh or cry ...

[fredaevans]

We have a 'Governmental Agency' whose primary task is to seek out/eliminate wasteful spending (doesn't everyone's?).

You have to hand it to the Fox Cable News network .... they discovered that these folks had rented out a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Arizona for a staff meeting (something like 500 people!). By the Hotel name alone you can guess the night 'rack rate' that must cost.

Oh .... all the folks to attend were being flied out of Washington DC to attend the event.

The meeting "has now been 'indefinitely postponed' due to information in the Press." Press? My Sweet Ass; FOX has nailed another group of our 'we know better than you' Governmental Folks between the eyes.

I can only speculate what that "boondoggle" (Merkin'ese for 'if no one's paying attention, this could really be a great few days to renew your sun-tan') would have cost.:?

[steelheadnut]

Hi there Fred,
Yes, they're everywhere.
If they got off their big fat a*+%?s and found some worthwile jobs in the real world we would all be better off.
Wonder how much of the tax payers money would be saved if ALL these so called beneficial departments/quangos dissapeared.
Anyway enough of this ranting, it's depressing.
How's your fishing going?
Alas, I won't be heading for the Skeena drainage again in April for the Steelies. Makes it the second year now. Hoping to make it for the fall of next year, if my health holds out.
Cap

[fredaevans]

Well, a lot closer to home would be here on the middle/upper Rogue River. March/April are the peek of our winter run season. Lots of public access over (roughly) 60 miles of river above the 'Wild and Scenic' section.

Better yet, the actual number of other you'll see is minimal save for in the immediate Hatchery area. Even there, mid-week you'd be one of very, very few.

Fred

[steelheadnut]

Well, a lot closer to home would be here on the middle/upper Rogue River. March/April are the peek of our winter run season. Lots of public access over (roughly) 60 miles of river above the 'Wild and Scenic' section.

Better yet, the actual number of other you'll see is minimal save for in the immediate Hatchery area. Even there, mid-week you'd be one of very, very few.

Fred

It's the very, very few I'd be interested in to be quite honest.
Fed up with trying to compete with others for a section of river.
That was one thing that relly bugged me on my last trip to the Kitimat and Kalum rivers, with people cutting in front of you all over the place. On one section I was comming to a nice tailout where I knew there were at least 4 BIG Steelies waiting for my swing when out of the blue this guy floats past on a raft, swings accross the tailout and beaches, walks back up to the said tailout and starts flogging the damn area. Of course the fish were long gone with a couple screaming past me into the deep water. A few verbals were exchanged and he was told where to park his raft in future.
With the fishing ruined we gave up for the day. Went back there a couple of days later and scored a couple to approx 24-26lb.
For the whole 10 days we were chasing water, which I don't usually do, and dislike immensely.
Give me the hard to find places, with perhaps a fair walk to the fishing. Those are the places you tend to get all to yourself, perhaps having to share it with some wildlife, as long as the bears don't mind :>
Cap

[fredaevans]

I know where of you speak.

The majority of the 'Guides' on the upper Rogue are very cognizant of 'bank angler's' and try to give them a wide birth. But there are the "Chosen Few" who are really total twits.

I'll let your 'imagination' run a muck with their 'you've got to be kidding me's.'::/