Eagles: Yep, Again!

Not much of a catch. I think I would have thrown that one back. The bird swallowed the fish in one gulp. Not sure what kind of fish it was but it doesn't look like a Kokanee.

The lower picture is of an imature Bald Eagle. This bird is probably from the summer hatch. I seem to remember reading that through the maturing process the classic white tail and head takes about two years to show. During this time many of these young birds not recognized as a Bald Eagle.

Eagle: To crop or not?

This one is for Del.. this is one of the better wing shots showing the original and the cropped one. You can get an idea of about how close the subject was. I'm still not happy with the sharpness. The light angle was ideal and the exposure was about right to prevent blown highlights. Just don't know how to compensate for the infirmiries that comes with age. (Mine.)

No editing done beyond cropping and file size reduction..

Just in Case You're Still Tired of Eagles

Here's a couple I got on the way to the eagle's domain.

These elk are part of a herd of elk at a commercial elk ranch located adjacent to hi-way 95 south of CDA.. Nice, but tame and captive.

Tired of Eagles?

OK, how about some fishing pictures.

This was taken on the way to find the eagles. This is the south-most part of Couer d'alene Lake. Relatively shallow (10 to 20 feet), it freezes over early and usually provides several days of good ice most years.
Here we have a couple of "Portable" ice shacks.

Click on the second photo and you can see a Northern Pike these guys caught. (Look lower right, I'd guess it weighs between 5 and 10 pounds, typical of the average in this area.)

Eagles: A Portrait

Lest you think all my eagles were soft, here's one of the closer poses.

Eagles: Another Pick Up (Pic 5)

Eagles: Another Pick Up (Pic 4)

And we have lift off!

Eagles: Another Pick Up (Pic 3)

So, here it is with talons set for the lift out... (Remember, you can get a closer look by clicking on the picture.)

Eagles: Another Pick Up (Pic 2)

Actually there are a couple other pictures of this pick up, but to make the short version of a long story, I'm leaving some out.

Here's the bird out at about 75 to 100 yards and 30 feet from its target.

Eagles: Another Pick Up (Pic 1)

Starting from the perch, this eagle spied a spent Kokanee Salmon and began its dive from a Ponderosa Pine high above the lake.

Eagles: Lunch

Frank, click on this picture to zoom so you can see the fish a bit better. The hooked jaw with jagged teeth clearly show the classic symptoms of spawned out salmon, Kokanee, in this case.

Eagles: Another Pick Up

I was positioned on the north shore looking south almost directly into the sun, so the pictures were not too good. But they speak for themselves.

Some fishing goin' on!

Went to the party today! Here are the beginning photos of today's eagle outing. N'East arm of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Wolf Lodge Bay, more people than eagles but it was a fun day with lot's of photos..

More to follow..

(Click on a photo to enlarge.)

Nesting Osprey - Charcoal

This is a reproduction of a charcoal drawing I did of a nesting Osprey. The reproduction was worked over to enhance the darks of the background. (It didn't work too well and close scruitny isn't advised.)

Hardwater on the St. Joe River

Awoke to the patter of raindrops, "Oh, what the heck! I'm going anyway." Not realizing that the last week of rain and above freezing weather did little to thaw the frozen river. Not a fishable hole between the CDA Lake and Avery, and the road above there is closed 'til spring.

So here's a couple of eagle shots taken through the fog and rain. Sorry they were not any better... but what can you expect from an amateur.

As you can see, the river has plenty of ice and the water frozen as it falls from the culvert shows the power of extended periods of below freezing temps. This stretch of river is primarily whitewater and it freezes from the bottom up.

I guess I'll have to wait until the spring rain blows the ice out to try out those Mountain Whitefish flies I've been tying.. darn!

Frank's Bread

Here's the latest from the oven, a still hot loaf of Frank's Bread. (If Frank gives me permission, I will post the recipe here.) It is everything Frank said it would be... eat a slice or two and you'll be climbing up and down the river bank or chasing elk or deer all over the place without even breathing hard! Yummy for the tummy!

Thanks Frank (And, is it OK to put the recipe here?)









Frank said YES! So here it is Folks..

Franks Jalapeno Bread [ Heart Healthy ]

4 cups white flour

2 cups wheat flour

6 level teaspoons of gluten ( one per cup of flour if you shorten the receipe.)

½ cup of either Oat bran or other bran

1 cup cracked wheat or stone ground oats

½ cup flax seed meal

1 cup chopped Jalapeno peppers

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup of cranberry raisens ( or chopped walnuts or both)

--mix these dry ingredients in a large bowl ---

Then take;

3 cups water

2 tablespoons of Smart Balance butter substitute

--With these two ingredients put them in a separtate bowl and put into the oven at lowest temperature until the butter substitute melts and the water is warm.

While the water is warming, put three packs of Fleischmanns RapidRise yeast in a quarter cup of tepid water, stir with spoon. The yeast will foam up to top of cup about when your water is warm.

--- Then when the water is warm and the butter substitute is melted, pour the water into the big bowl of dry mixture above, and also add the yeast to the water. Then mix with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are sticky. Dump out on a lightly floured board or counter, and kneed with your hands a few minutes until slightly springy to touch. Then put entire ball of dough into a bowl and let rise for 30 minutes. Then after that, knead the dough again a couple of minutes, shape into four round balls, put two round dough balls onto a greased cookie sheet, and let them again rise for another 30 minutes. [ You can use conventional bread pans too, makes no difference but remember to grease the bread pans.] After the second rising they are ready to bake – AND – you bake them in the oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. – While they are baking, or the first two loaves, I usually take about three tablespoons of Olive oil,put it in a cup with diced garlic cloves mixed in with the Olive oil, and after the bread has been baking for 15 minutes, with a basters brush, baste the top of the bread with the Olive oil so it won’t get too stiff and hard. It works great and it smells delicious.

NOTE: I use the Gold Medal flour in the Yellow Bag that says best for making bread.

ALSO: This is a basic bread receipe, and you can substitue Rye for some of the flour ingredients, sprinkle in a little dill seeds, leave out the nuts etc, and experiment with herbs and or garlic etc, to your own special taste.

NOTE; I use no diary products, no milk, very little sugar. Notice the flax seed meal, the walnuts, the cranberry raisens, the jalapeno peppers, the wheat, Oats and bran, all good for the arteries, blood, high in Omega 3’s, low in sugars to keep Tryglicerides down, but with enough natural energy to keep you hiking several miles in the woods with a day pack or keep you warm on the river bank while fishing. If you like this bread and its ingredients you will snub your nose at the stuff on the store shelves and always have the material on hand to make up a batch. I make four loaves at a time and keep it in the freezer, use as needed.

Good Luck and Happy Bread Making and Happy Hiking and Fishing too.

@ 2002, Frank S.Tapley

More Flies

A couple more, since it is raining, a good day to tie flies. This first one is entirely turkey tail feather, about 12 or 14 strands tied butt forward then wrapped to the tail. Brought the tying thead to the front of the hook then wrapped the turkey feather strands to form the body. When wound to the front, tie off and fold back and trim to leave the strand lengths to just beyond the bend of the hook. A simple but appealing fly. Size 14 hook.














The second fly is also tied on a #14 hook and imitates something but I don't know what! The tail is brushed black floss, the wing case is dyed duck (neck feathers) The body is peacock herl with grizzly hackle.


Both of these flies should be deadly for creek trout and blue gills among the lily pads.

Fly Tying

Here are a couple more experimental flies I did just for tune up.

Had to work the old Thompson vise over because the jaws twisted on me and you can't tie with a anti goggling hook. I bought the vise with paper route money 61 years ago so I guess it has given good service. (I broke off a set screw and had to drill it out and re-thread for a larger machine screw. So while I was at it, I put two set screws in and it should not turn now!)

The top fly has a dubbed fir body, with a wing case tied on the rear and brought forward over the body. Wings next, from a pheasant wing feather. A small tuft of deer hair tips next followed by two-tone hackle, grizzly and brown.

The bottom fly has a cream yarn body striped with red floss that also loops at the rear. Next a tuft of deer hair followed by another tuft which is spun and trimmed for a muddler look.

Again, these are for practice and experimentation, not following any pattern or recipe.