ArticWolf's Den

Nantuc's future 'Mate'

2011-10-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

..yesterday 22nd of Oct.,was the first real encounter that Nantuc had with a young male wolf ,since she was a baby..it was rather unexpected that I first met the owner of this young white timber wolf who's name is 'Kaos'. I was getting gas at my local station when I heard Nantuc whimpering, something I haven't heard in a while, so I looked at her only to see her straining her neck to see what was in the truck on the other side of the pump I was using. So I looked as well...holy! That was the word that came out of my mouth..there was a young male timber wolf peering out of window in the truck opposite the pump. He was bloody beautiful, white with a little darker yellow eyes than Nantuc's. I turned to the owner and asked only one question...is he 'cut'..the answer came back ..NO, not at all..this was the news I was waiting to hear...fantastic! I then introduced myself and my little white lady to the owner, who was just as excited as I was, because he want to stud off his male because the young wolf was 95% high content..father was a pure blood white timber wolf..his mother..was 75% Arctic Wolf/25% husky. Now things were looking up much better than I was hoping for , but the next statement from the owner sent me over the moon...was I willing to breed Nantuc with his male ..Koas....I jumped at that as fast as I could..so we made arrangements to meet on a sat. that was convenient for both of us.

That day came yesterday..and when he brought out Koas out of his truck..boy he was large for being only 10 months old now. His coat had changed from being pure white to a very light rust colour on his sides, black streaks down from his back of the neck to midway to his tail. And he was now getting a mask, with a white patch in the center of his forehead..typical Kananaskis timber wolf. Yet he remain as beautiful as I first saw him..and yes he grew taller as well. While this was going on, I could hear Nantuc once again, so I went in and brought her out to meet this boy. Remember..this is Not neutral ground but Nantuc's domain, which was a good idea because she could have reacted in a violent manner towards this male..quite common when the female is an Alpha. However what took place in the next 30 seconds between them was what I was hoping for...she let him nudge her on the side of the face, then he gave he a quick 'lick'..it was a kiss which prompted her to kiss back. It appeared right then that she accepted him, whew...thank you very much!

We had decided over the phone that day to take them to a neutral area that was close to me, so they can settle in with each other. And so they did..him trying to dominate her, and of course that wasn't happening to soon..it took a fair bit of time for the boy to realize that Nantuc was an alpha, and he had to respect that, if he wanted her to remain none violent. He learned very quick for she started to kiss him more but the critical time hadn't arrived as of yet. They continued to snap at each other, jumping at each other all in play when Nantuc decided to sit down in an upright position...this was her invitation for him to come close..which he did instantly and began to lick her genitals. The union was now accepted by her..this was the fist time she allowed a male whether it was canine or canis to come close to her in this fashion..now I personally felt relaxed, for I was witness when my Nikita had that happen by the first wolf I introduced to her back on the island and all hell broke loose. Well we started taking pictures of the two of them , which I'll pop in a few shortly, and after a time we both decided to bring them back to my place and arrange for another visit in 2 weeks..with in two months from now Nantuc should be in full heat and if what I had seen , this will be male that will give her, her first pack of pups..which should be 5-7 the first time.
Here are a few pics of Kaos and Nantuc...

Where has the Time gone...

2011-09-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Has it been that long..June the 13th., was the last entry and now it is Sept.24th.,...Time..the controller of of humanity has done it again.the summer has pasted and fall begins to creep it's way into position for the dreaded winter to come..and yet my thoughts of the coming spring has me in a lull..a suspended state of mind, only Time can and hopefully will cure.

..Nantuc has made her way into a lovely young lady, yet still has the playfulness of a puppy, always looking, always popping her nose into things she shouldn't, but heck that's the learning of a puppy now isn't it..She is now 18 months and come December 12th., she will be 2 years old and that's when a surge of growth will set in..she has grown taller now and stands with head held high, ears pointing to the sky, oh yes she now looks like the matured wolf she will become..what an amazing look she has..

..during this summer past Nantuc has been developing her natural traits..being an Alpha Female, not only to her surroundings but to all dogs that comes into her assigned territory..she sprays her scent over all who dares to come in that certain zone of hers, and if, on occasions, when a dog that she disproves of, her hair on her lower back neck, shoulders long her back till it comes to her rump stands up making her look almost twice as large as she is..what an awesome sight, yet a bit on the scary side even for me. And then there was the time when we went visiting a close friend who's neighbour had a great Dane pup, about the same age as Nantuc..but definitely way taller, and heavier than her..but knew each other when both were smaller..play time came to both of them and all was going well until the Dane decided to put her arm over Nantuc's back, for Danes have a habit of playing with their paws like Boxers do. Anyway as the scene progressed, Nantuc was getting upset with this action and for the first time she lifted up her lips, bared her snow white teeth and gave a low throaty growl..which should have stopped the Dane..but nope..the Dane again came with her arms flailing, but this time Nantuc struck a blow on the Dane's cheek..still the Dane came forth but this time my young pup or who I thought was a pup grabbed the Dane by the throat pulling it down , straddled it and once again gave this deep menacing low throaty growl..BUT..this time the Dane didn't come up but laid there in a very submissive manner. Well it looks like my puppy has become the Alpha Female she was born to be..she didn't hurt the dog but showed it that she was the Alpha and had enough.

..during this summer she honed her stalking/killing instincts, by getting 11 Richardson ground squirrels, of which 5 she let go and 6 became fly tying skins, which were sent abroad to my oversea friends. How proud she became each morning we went out on the hunt and she came back with her prize..

..gophers were not only the victims, for the common field mouse became a target as well, and pigeons...got a few pics of that , however, going to refrain myself from putting them up considering feathers are all over the living room floor. That's right in my place..that pigeon flew through my kitchen screen door, and wound up as a snack for Nantuc..

Well folks, I'll try not to be so slack in here as time goes by..so until then.................ciao for now..

Nantuc...on her way as a 'teenager'..

2011-06-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time that I sat in front of the computer to write in my blog, guess it has been do to lack of interest, or the many things that have been going on with Nantuc and myself. She has been growing not only in body but in her acceptance of humans. It has been just great to see how my patience in getting her to leave her wariness behind and go up to women and especially children. In her way of approach, you can see how much confidence she has gained, for she realizes that they are like her in a way...'a child'..without the fear that adults have and show when they hear she is Wolf.

..Now let's see if I can put down Nantuc's daily routine starting from the time it is for her to get out of my bed!

..Like all young wolves they sleep close to their siblings or in her case to me for security and comfort. She sleeps on top of my bed, at the bottom part closes to my legs, which gives her access to easily get off the bed without waking me up. She curls up there for about 5 minutes, then gets up to change her position, and settles next to my head where she likes to share my pillow, yet when I do wake up, her position had changed once again.

..I like to take her out before the world of human traffic begins , giving both her and I a piece of time without the hustle and noise that follows from everyday life. This is when it can be called our time for strengthening up our bondage between us..

..Time to get now Nantuc for your companion has had his 2 cups of coffee and ready to face whatever is there for the day..but wait..you are still laying on the bed. Half in a daze, stretched out like the princess you have become. As I said , this is our time for bonding, and so she just lays there while I rub her legs, body, neck, head, clean her eyes from the night's sleep, and basically massage her while she just yawns away in a lazily princess's fashion, if there was one...

..this is now where she displays her trust and affection to me, for it is the time that she licks my face, something that my Nikita never did, or the other four male wolves either. Personally, I think she loves the taste of the coffee, for most of the time there is coffee on my mustache, which she licks clean..lol.

..time now has her looking for any one of her play toys to toss around in the living room till I get myself ready to venture out on her first walk through out the neighborhood. She is very patient with me , sitting by the back door while I get myself ready, then it is off to smell the morning dew! There are tons of black/gray squirrels , magpies, robins,sparrows and the odd rabbit that greets her every morning, but for the most part , it is the daily walk that will encourage her to eat, once we get back home.

..Nantuc has an enormous appetite, starting with a pan full of chicken livers and hearts, [which she eats the hearts like candy, one after another], this she will have after our 30-60 minute walk first thing in the morning. And after she has her breakie, it is off to the bedroom once again to sleep and grow not only in height but now in weight..for the average weight of a female wolf will be between 55-60 lbs out in the wild for most part of their lives..

..Now Nantuc weighs a bit more around 65 lbs, but she is NOT fully matured as of yet..being only 17 months as of yesterday. She still has lots to grow before she reaches 4 years old, which is when she will be fully matured. Around 5 or so she will eat again but this time a half of a fresh raw chicken, then a walk, then time to sleep again..

..and so night has come and once again walking is in order, time has passed now from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock and out pops one of her friends...a 2 year old unfixed 'dog'! They have been friends ever since she came to me, and have played together ever since. My neighbor takes his two out and only one does Nantuc plays with..the older dog is 17 now and it is like she knows that he doesn't play and is in his last days of life. It is strange to see but she goes up to the old dog and gives him a lick as to acknowledge out of respect for him..

..after a time playing it is time once again to Eat...then off to bed for the night...

..This was just a taste as her day goes for it does change daily but it summarizes to what I wrote, as a routine but as it is up to her, there can and have been more long walks and trips to the rivers for fishing and swimming..as the summer gets on...

A small packet came in from England..."High Heeled Hoppers"..

2011-03-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

..what a surprise it was to find out one of my m8s from England is a 'pro tier'..Bob Holland..aka..Sunray, he enclosed in his package 5 very beautiful and different style of 'hoppers', that is for here in Canada. He calls them the 'High Heeled Hoppers'..however,he also sent a write up about them. And so I present my friend to you..

..sorry but had to make the pic in it's original size, otherwise you wouldn't be able to read the patterns.

New Video added...

2011-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

..superb video, guess it could be everyone's dream...

Here comes another...

2011-02-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

..Gbigtrout, emailed me with a pic of his latest, said i'll be getting it in a few weeks, and so I worked on his fly...another for the Fly Pattern section........

Oh wow...two more unexpected packages arrived..

2011-02-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

..forgot about these chaps, do to a busy family month, birthdays [mine included], distant visits, and just plan old busy!
..anyways down to business...two packages arrived.. one from Glasgow, Scotland, a new tier to my list, please meet ' Shanksi ' a semi pro which you find ties some interesting patterns.
..And once again a wee treat all the way up North West in UK..from ' TK ', in Wales, some dazzling flies showed up between a package of ' picric French Partridge feathers ', that was surprise to say the least.
..some of his flies will be entered into the Fly Pattern section once he contacts me with names and of course the 'material list' in the order of tie but for now , please be my guest...

A new arrival from South Wales..

2011-02-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to ' TK ' from South Wales, up in his area, ppl from all around the UK come to fish the 'seatrout', not the ones we here in NA are used to, especially on the west coast, for they are 'brown trout', spawning in freshwater, growing out in the ocean.

..so go and have a peek at his flies in the 'Fly Pattern' section.

A package from over the pond..but from Whom!

2011-01-25T18:13:00.000-08:00

..there was a knock at my door this morning, and the post lady handed me a package! Hmm, wasn't expecting a small package from anyone, or so I thought..

..it was from Tunbridge Wells , England , sent by..
" Sunray" a new tier that I was waiting for..the package contain 3 each of two flies he created with Nantuc's fur.

..go have a look in the Fly Pattern section...

Two New flies from southern Ireland just arrived...

2011-01-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

Top of the 'Mornin to you' came a message from southern Ireland..CO. Cork..was calling, it was Seanie asking me to check my mail box, for a wee package as he put it..and so while opening it up , two beautifully tied 'deer hair' pike flies fell out. I've put them in the Fly Pattern section for your enjoyment...have a look see under his name.

I'm crazy for Hoppers..good eating as well if they are chocolate coated!

2011-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hoppers...yep this little beast has me captivated, used them with super success..and so I decided to put up a few videos on how to tie them up, from to simplest to the sublime..

..go check out my "Video"section...

Bringing in the New Year ...

2011-01-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

Well it is time to bring in the New Year with two new flies from British Columbia, from Vancouver Island.

..these two flies were made by the "Professori" of BC...please look in the "Fly Pattern" section.

Just thought I'd add a few more of Nantucs pics right here this morning!

2010-12-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

2010-11-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

..Was getting pretty tired of opening up my blog to be faced with those two 'stockies' as I've been told from the boys over the pond, that I thought why not add this pic to my blog..

..it is just great to see my 'not so behaved but beautiful young Lady' that she is..just kidding by the way, for she does things to please me on a daily basis. Whether it is something not so grandeur, but very meaningful never the less. Such as coming out to see me when I'm on the computer, and giving me a very deep growl [which sometimes sends the hair on the back of my neck straight up to heaven], then bouncing backwards to catch my attention..a sign that it is her time to occupy my time not the computer! Or what about those special moments when she needs to go out and I'm enjoying one of rare moments called sleep. How she figured out that the 'loudest' bark I've ever heard, [only 6"] from my face would send me flying to the ceiling is beyond me..but damn it all, it sure works! However, one of her 'grandeur' moments made me gasp leaving me with just a broad smile on my face, when without me saying a word, she sat down. Huh?..you say..yes this happens now every time we come to a street either at a corner or out from a lane way, she automatically sits down. I think she has seen a few dogs around here doing just that and in her mind she believes this is the thing to do.

..And so , I present to you my not so little puppy any longer showing me what she likes to do just for the heck of it..

Another fly just arrived this morning...

2010-11-23T13:24:00.000-08:00

..this time it came in from Scotland, Greenock made another super looking one..check out 'Fly Patterns'..

Two more Southern Irish Flies have arrived!

2010-11-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

..as the title says, two more flies have arrived from Ireland, made by Seanie. These two are what is called the 'Peter' fly a very common, well used fly , however, Seanie adds his Southern flair to the ties with a not so common material. Please check out the 'Fly Patterns' section..

What will they think of Next...???

2010-11-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

..it appears that in the need to give anglers a reason for returning to a certain lake that has been 'stocked', some futuristic biologist came up with a 'new' strain of rainbow trout. A trout that not only looks different than Oncorhynchus mykiss, but has it's own name now as a variant with 'Oncorhynchus mykiss walbaum', the "Blue Trout".

..I've supplied a Url, so that you may read about this new variant, which is a 'rave' in the UK at the moment, many of the fishers who have been lucky in catching this fish just rant and rave on it's quality of fighting as well as the taste of it's flesh. If you get a chance to fish for the 'blue trout', by all means please let me know your thoughts...

http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/content/97/1/89.full

New additions to two sections...Wolves and Nantuc..."Audio Clips"

2010-11-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

..it has taken me a bit of time to introduce.."audio clips" into this blog. I'm not versed in 'HTML', however, with a bit of help from a good friend of mine from Denmark, I was able to finally succeed..

..here is hoping that what you will hear will thrill you as it does to me each time I hear them...

I changed and add a few things in my blog today...who is interested in looking?

2010-10-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

Decided to add a few more 'pages' to this blog, and in doing so, I couldn't stop...

..why don't you all have a look on the left side of the main page and see if you can see the new ones...have fun ppl!

My personal Fly Ties...a New Added Section...

2010-10-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today I was browsing in the internet and decided to check out a fellow fisher's blog..and this is what caught my interest, a super modern way of displaying my personally tied flies. And so...I do hope you all take a peek and get inspired as I had..

Trouts of Western Canada...

2010-10-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

There seems to be quite a few 'sub-species', 14 to be exact for the genus 'Oncorhynchus', the Salmon family, specifically the 'Cutthroat Trout'..'Oncorhynchus clarkii' and do to this, I'll only post one specie that is abundant here in the Southern area of Alberta Canada.

..So let's begin with the 'Cutthroat trout'..Oncorhynchus clarkii
These trout are native to the mountain and foothill streams of southern Alberta

..these specimens were caught/released this Sept.,past, by 'CF8'..an angler in one of my forums I belong to.

..next on line the 'Golden Trout'..Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita
is a sub-specie of the rainbow trout. In Alberta there are 5 high mountain lakes that were planted with pure strain goldens in the late 50s, and there have been several stockings since.

..next we draw our attention to the 'Brown Trout'..Salmo trutta
And here, in Alberta there are two distinct types of browns, both of which were introduced in the eighteen hundreds, where they have become one of the most sought after trouts in Alberta. The Bow River has been made as a world famous brown trout haven, where people from all over the globe have come to fish, giving them an average size of 20" plus.

..The most common brown is the 'Scottish brown'..

..however, the most colourful brown is the 'German brown'..

..next we'll introduce the 'Brook trout'..Salvelinus fontinalis..
is actually a 'Char', the common English name given to all members of the genus 'Salvelinus'..

..next will be the 'Bull trout'..Salvelinus confluentus..
Native to Alberta and is the official provincial fish, this specie is 'protected' with a zero possession limit..you must release all Bull trout you catch!

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Bull Trout from Graham Styler on Vimeo.

..next I'll add the 'Dolly Varden' ..Salvelinus malma..
have given many anglers around the world an unforgettable fight in rivers above the polar circle. This queen of rivers is a fish for people who wants a gourmet meal.

..and now the 'Rainbow trout'..Oncorhynchus mykiss..

..there are six native sub-species of rainbow trout in the West and Pacific Ocean. The sub-species are distributed throughout the drainage system of the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Mexico, and the eastern coast of Asia.

..now comes one of the most sought after trouts by all anglers, the 'Steelhead Trout..Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus..

Steelhead trout live both in the rivers [where they do their spawning] and part time in the ocean where they grow, before re-entering the rivers where they were born. The Steelie is noticeably different then the river rainbows in both size and colour. They are by far prized by anglers for their fighting nature when caught on a fishing line.

Arrival of More flies from Ireland..last two are in!

2010-10-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

..I've just put up the last two flies that were sent in from southern Ireland by Seanie...........enjoy his style.

Arrival of More flies from Ireland..

2010-10-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

Seanie (from southern Ireland), had sent me a few typical Irish flies, and I chose 4 flies to put up in the Fly Pattern section, two are up now and the other two are waiting for the material list to come....enjoy.

3 New Flies just arrived.

2010-10-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

..please check out the 3 New addition of over the pond flies, found in the 'Fly Pattern' section.

..and the New pics in the 'Wolf Section'..

Salmon of the West Coast of Canada...

2010-09-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is going to be rather interesting, because in the trouts , there are a tremendous amount of 'sub-species' , especially when it comes to the 'Cutthroat'...Oncorhynchus clarki, just to many for me to put up, however, I will put up the more common cuttie that is found in the southern sections of Alberta just to give you an idea on how beautiful this specie is. So let's get going on this yet another interesting topic..

..Let us begin with the Salmons of the Pacific Ocean, there are 5 major species, plus one of the most favorite 'trouts', mother nature can provide to the fishers of the world, but for now, we will continue with the Salmons..

The first is by far the largest Salmon of the Pacific, thus one of it's common names is suited for it.. 'The King Salmon' also known as it is getting to a special weight class..'The Chinook Salmon' , then once it reaches that 30lb plus class it has finally come to the name that is known in the west as..'The Tyee Salmon'..Oncorhynchus tshawytscha..

..A special group of fishers formed the 'Tyee Club of British Columbia' began in 1924, with a group of anglers who returned to the Campbell River each year in pursuit of the elusive Tyee - a coastal Indian word meaning, 'the Chief', a Chinook salmon , 30 pounds or larger. The First Nations people had fished for Tyee for unknown ages prior to the coming of the Europeans. They used several methods including spears and hand lines, from dugout canoes, as well as traps. They were adept at catching fish as well as being truly conservationist in practice. The first account of angling for Tyee appeared in 'The Field', published in London October1896. Sir Richard Musgrave and his partner, W.H.Gorden, took 19 Tyee in one week as well as several Coho and trout. His largest Tyee, taken September 20th 1896, weighed in at 70 pounds. For further information to this group of anglers please clink on the link provided.. http://www.tyeeclub.org/about.htm ..The largest Tyee ever landed in sport fishing was 93pounds, and was caught in the Kenai River in Alaska in 1986. The largest Tyee ever caught was taken in a fish trap in Alaska weighing in at 125 pounds, in 1946.

..The Female King Salmon :

..The Male King Salmon :

..The next Salmon is the 'Sockeye Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus nerka..

..This specie is commercially one of the most popular of all because of it's dark, rich, flavorful meat and is 3rd in population next to the Pink and Chum salmon.

..The Female Sockeye Salmon :

..The Male Sockeye Salmon :

..next will be the 'Chum Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus keta :

..Commercial fisheries in Alaska and Russia take more chum than any other fish. Their meat is primarily smoked, and they tend to be less oil than other species.

..The Female Chum Salmon :

..The Male Chum Salmon :

..next is the 'Coho Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus kisutch :

..One of the most popular fish species among North American anglers, their size is in part responsible; Coho average 38 inches and 11 pounds in weight, although many larger ones have been landed. Some of the largest have been 31 pounds and 114 inches in length.

..The Male and Female Coho Salmon :

..next is the 'Pink Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus gorbusha :

..Pink salmon are also known as 'humpbacked salmon', due to the bulge that appears on the male's back during spawning time. Pinks are now the most sought after fish in the commercial industry, especially in places like Alaska. In today's market the Pinks are bought from the commercial fishers for a mere 17 cents a pound. Yet as a consumer , the prices are high that we pay.

..this is in it's ocean colour :

..a Male and Female pair in spawning colours :

..Well I've covered the five Pacific Salmon that run our rivers here in British Columbia, during their spawning time, in the days that come I'll continue posting with our western trout..until then..

A Showing of the 'Browns' of Ireland.

2010-09-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Thought it would be of some interest to put up pics of the various specie of 'Browns' found in Ireland. As in my last post, I'll start off with the brown that most fishers would give their eye tooth for, for this brown has been know to get to 20 lbs. plus, and that is the..

..'Dollaghan'.. Salmo trutta L.,

..These are just two of the colour phases that this fish has in the various rivers that flow into Lough Neagh.

..the next fish and others are not in any order..

..this next fish is called..'Sonaghan'..Salmo nigripinnis

..these have been scientifically proven as being indigenous to Lough Melvin and are the main quarry for anglers on Lough Melvin. Late evening approximately half hour before dusk is particularly good, the month of June is when the fishing for this specie peaks.

..the next brown is called ..'Gillaroo'.. Salmo stomachicus

..A specie of trout which eats primarily snails. Gillaroo is derived from the Gailge or Irish for Red Fellow (Giolla Rua). This is do to the fishes distinctive colouring. It has bright buttery golden colour in it's flanks with bright crimson and vermilion spots.

..next brown I've saved for last because it has been noted to have lived 50,000 years ago and have survived over the ages, and it is called..'Ferox'.. Salmo ferox

..in about 10,000 years ago when the climatic conditions changed, cutting off their access to the sea, and forever changing their life history. Indeed in Ireland ferox can be found in many char lakes which traditionally held char in the past. Ferox canabalise (now known as Salmo ferox), which returned to many of the same lakes when geological processes and climatic conditions allowed and also prey on other fish species (in Lough Corrib ferox take large numbers of roach).

..there is but one other that I thought I should bring to light and that fish is called..'Croneen'..

..however, to site any of the write up on this certain unique fish would be a travesty to it , so please look in this site for the complete story of the Corneen trout... http://www.shannon-fishery-board.ie/catchment/croneen-story.htm

Let's welcome aboard yet another Irish tier...

2010-09-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 22nd.,2010

A new tier has been incorporated into my blog, he hails from Ireland, living in the south west of the Island. Welcome 'Seanie', I'm sure the ppl who visit my blog will appreciate your different tying style and different type of Irish flies. He enjoys fishing for the large browns as well as the Atlantic Salmon, and Sea trout down in southern part of Ireland in certain trout 'lakes=Loughs' as they call them on the green isle, but please remember this..this is Ireland now and where the 'Blarney Stone' was made famous by those in the South, (this is where Seanie hails from) and where all those little green men came from..

..now Seanie lives quite away from Gbigtrout, who resides in the North, so his fishing is in these Loughs : Sheelin, Derg, Carragh, Mask, and Curren.

..In Ireland, they have many distinct species of Browns as we here in North America have only two..the German brown being the most colourful, and the Scottish brown with all of it's dark markings. But as I said in Ireland , they have many, so I'll start with the one most ppl go after..

..they call it..'Dollaghan', Salmo trutta L., this brown trout is unique and found only in Northern Ireland. Unlike salmon, the dollaghan continues to feed when they enter the rivers to spawn, even though they are notoriously nocturnal. Similar to the sea-trout, the dollaghan usually become active from late evening right through the darkness.
yep

Dollaghan comes from the Gaelic word..dulach..which means 'swift running'. These fish reside in Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles covering a vast 153 sq. miles=400 sq. km. Surprising to us here in North America, there are several species of brown trout in Ireland, including the one just described, there is in Lough Melvin as an example, three distinct species known loccally as: Gillaroo as Salmo stomachicus, Sonaghen as Salmo nigripinnis, and Ferox as Salmo ferox. These three types are genetically distinct, due to independent ancestry and natal homing to separate spawning areas. And so with all these different species of brown it is no wonder that there will be a big difference to the styles and types of flies that will be coming out of Ireland herself.

2010-09-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday,19 th.,Sept.2010

Added a new fly in the Fly Pattern section this morning, had received this from the tier 'Gbigtrout' from North Ireland ..Ulster..to be exact, in Friday's mail, a rather interesting fly considering that the colours were obtained with an acid call 'Picric', this technic was first used in Ireland to create the colour Olive, and from that time till now the Irish have been using it to create that sought after colour.

Addition of New exciting Flies

2010-09-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 10th. 2010..

..Have put up several new flies, in two places, one being in the 'Fly Pattern', the other under 'Products', which were made with my new Arctic Wolf's fur...that's right, Nantuc gave up some to try..the fur was sent over the pond to England, Ireland, Scotland, and now working on sending it over to Europe, in hopes a few will come from there.

..as far as here in Canada, I sent some over to a friend of mine on Vancouver Island, and in the process of sending some to a highly noted tier friend of mine in New Brunswick who ties classic flies..

..I do hope you all enjoy the new flies as well there will be updates to include the new ones as they come in............cheers!

Added some more Flys..

2010-07-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

I added a few more flys this morning to the "Fly Patterns", but in this post I wanted to add a couple of pics that I took the other day. I just couldn't resist in putting them up, hope you find them interesting..

in these two pics, the first one shows the 'shuck' in it's natural colour..

whereas the next one shows it's size as well as having epoxy covering it..

Now these other three is how Nantuc greets her buddy 'Boston Benny'..my oldest son's boston terrier..

Hope you liked them..Oh by the way..Nantuc really likes the little guy and Benny doesn't take 'poop' from her at all .. until next time..

.....................tight lines

The Little Lady is 'Growing Up' !

2010-06-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well ...it's been two months now that Nantuc came to me, and what a complete turn around from that first day.

She was a scared little girl, that first month, peeing and pooping all over the place, and boy I was beginning to feel that this unsightly business would never stop. Never had I gone through so much frustration before with my other 5 wolves, or maybe by the grace of God..I forgot those moments. She is now 6 months old turning on June 12th., her birthday, and so many things are starting to show..

..her eating habits are like a garborator..eats ..all raw food..chicken, beef, deer, moose,rabbit and then has a craving for .. scrambled egg, mango fruit, and as a special treat which I know I shouldn't give her but..guess I'm a 'suck' for those yellow/amber eyes of hers..'maple walnut icecream'..the new President Choice one...yummy!

..She no longer does her business in the house but, has a tenancy to howl at the back door if that time is coming. Thank God! Now the first time this happens is at 6:30am..bright and early..and so a 'walk' we go for over an hour, which happens at least 5-6 times a day.

..She enjoys those moments for the wildlife is abundant where I live, and as a born hunter, I try and hone her instincts to hunt as best as I know how..for an animal who was born in mother natures domain, must learn to hunt to survive, and even though Nantuc will be with me who will provide for her, it is my responsibility to ensure she knows her capabilities if she ever she goes back into the wild. There are plenty of gophers, magpies,crows,squirrels to get her blood flowing, and if and when the time comes that she actually does catch one, she will be on the way to maturity. That eventful moment came on last Monday morning when a magpie fell to her quickness, however, she only held it in her mouth and did not kill it, that is ..not until we got home, where she relieved it of life.

..She is just now starting to refine her personality, for this little young lady is starting to show that she will be an Alpha Female, and I can assure you I'll have my hands full with her..for she has in her all of both her mother and father's ways because she was fully weaned Before I got her leaving me with an interesting future to look forward to.

..and now a few pics of this 'Beauty'...

..as you can see, she has tasted fish already..

..well as time goes on , there will more updates on Nantuc..until then..
..tight lines...

My New Family Member..cont'd!

2010-04-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally made up my mind as to what this white fluff will be labelled with...'Nantuc'...for some reason even after I was given some beautiful names from that Native American name site, I chose this one. About a year ago, I watch a dvd on Geronimo, and I heard this name , and thought it would be a good name for a wolf..guess it stuck in my head and so..that is her name now.. Nantuc !

She sure has come a long way rather fast, for she is bonding with me, ever chance that she can. I've been given kisses, have had my hands constantly chewed upon , not in an agressive fashion but in a playful manner. She has decided that when I go to sleep, her place is on Nikita's blanket next to my bed. This is great, exactly what I was hoping for..she also jumps up onto the my bed but only after we wake up, this is a reinsurance bonding time, where I pat her, kiss her on her snout and rub her belly.

Oh look..her ears are now standing up, sure didn't take as long as I expected..

Not only her ears but her height and weight as well.. instant growth in just 10 days..

..to be continued..

My New Family Member..

2010-04-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

I needed to fill the void that my Nikita left me in, and so inquiries were being made..called quite a few places , only to be disappointed once again. Finally one of my contacts that I placed a call to several months ago before my loss of Nikita, gave me a call. I was asked if I was still interested in getting a wolf pup..guess that call couldn't have come at a better time.

We chatted for sometime, and made arrangements for me to see a pup plus the father of the litter. Now I was informed when I first contacted this breeder that there was a female wolf puppy left from a litter of 5..4 males and one female. This pup was an Arctic Wolf of 93%, meaning that with the mixture of the father..timber/tundra, and the mother who had 89% Arctic in her with malmute making up the rest, gave this litter a greater chance of being almost pure wolf.

I had in mind that she would had taken my interest and I would like to see her, now, when first told about her ,she was 3 months old, now she was 4 1/2 months, getting into an area that I wasn't to comfortable with. I've learnt already that raising a wolf pup up until 6 months is find, a bit hard having them learn to 'trust' you, but so it takes a bit longer...however after 6 months you have your hands full, for they are already geared to follow their instincts.

There they were, both the dad and the little pure white wolf! Now the dad, well, he certainly is a handsome brute, just a typical two year old gray/silver/white timber with the longish ears of a tundra. But that little white fluff of fur is not to little by any means. She has long legs, and paws that can be found on an adult, however, she is lean giving the appearance that she has not been fed quality food. During the conversation with the chap, I found out that she was fed can dog food, scraps of food, pork of all things [this is no good for wolves IMO], she was not house broken, had not received her shots, was an outdoors animal [I think he just had her in the garage at night].

Well this young lady, was very timid, giving off certain signals IMO..I've had 5 wolves before this one and I can see/tell that she was miss treated..not socialized , was afraid on men, hated the leash, was wearing a collar that was extremely tight, in all I believe that she was 'kicked' several times and half starved.

I bought her! And right now as I'm writing this, she is sleeping by my feet..here is a pic of what she looks like...

She weighs around 30 odd pounds, when I got her, and as of 6 days, today being the sixth, she weighs just over 45 lbs and growing fast.

It is said that the Arctic Wolf is the tallest we have here in Canada, which can reach well over 7' long. When she gets to her full size, she should be able to drape both of her front paws over my shoulders with ease, and I stand a good 6', here is a pic of a full grown Arctic Wolf...

As a pup,she is very cautious of strange sounds, movements no matter what has caused them, and of course People, with dogs she just stands her ground , not moving towards them but faces them head on. She has displayed her agression twice now with two separate dogs, a male pup living quite close to us and the other a full grown retriever, a young male. Her behavior towards dogs will be quite interesting as she is growing up, now I'm not in the habit of going places where people bring their dogs for an outing, an 'off leash' area, and over here in Calgary, there are plenty of them. I will be taking her to the Bow River in places that there are the least number of canines, simply because ..dogs seem to go to wolves as if they are a beacon of strange oder to them, just like dogs go to coyotes...it's their strange oder they emit.

Been watching her very closely, and have noticed several actions of her's that indicate 'abuse'. The first is quite obvious, for the moment you approach her with a lead in hand..she bolts! This says that the breeder was very aggressive when he put her on display, could have been tied up in a compound for long periods of time , thus causing apprehension when seeing a lead/rope/leash. She was Not around people as a real puppy should at her earlier weeks, and showed tenancies of being 'kicked', when coming over to her..

..puppies are very curious, and friendly, it is natural for them to come over to you showing no fear, however, not this young lady, very shy, timid if you must, but not a typical puppy response that one might expect. This will change, that I'm sure of , for knowing my ability, it won't take long before she feels at 'home', here with me and the smells that my Nikita had left behind. This will be her safe haven, and here she will feed till her stomach is happy.

She has passed the stage of eating whatever she was fed before, because , from the time I brought her home she was fed raw meat, beef [red meat], and maybe now after conditioning her tummy, and the toxins have left her stomach, I'll introduce raw chicken, buffalo or elk, and rabbit of course, but most of all..deer meat. She shows that she likes the marrow inside of leg soup bones, but ..she can't have to much for it binds her up and her stools become like little rocks! Have to add veggies to the meal of meat..and that should prove easy enough cause the veggies will be blended into a thick liquid which I can pour over the meat...hopefully.

It has been 12 years since I took care of a pup, and so far she has worn me down..for the first two nights she decided to wake me up at 3 in the morning with her howling..and boy is her voice ever 'deep', it sent chills to the back of my neck till I realized it was her and not some adult wolf out side of my bedroom.

..gave her a bath the second day, just couldn't put up with the foul smell she was carrying, and she was good, didn't give me any grief at all, here is a pic after that bath..

..But the best part is the fact that she has taken to a dog 'Kato'..he is a 13 year old vet with a major disability..he is 'Blind' ! Now the pup really likes him and imitates Kato's play actions,which is quite comical to watch. Kato has a habit of grabbing stuff toys, and shaking the hell out of it when he is told to 'kill,kill'..for he was a superb mouser, and when he caught one, he would shake it so hard , it would die..

..now the pup has done the same, a very useful tool for her, in the months to come.

..see..buddies already......

She has a lot of work cut out for her in the coming months, for she must learn to hunt/kill [small animals, nothing large], to swim, to learn how to 'guard' her new location, which I sure will take awhile for that, if she gets over the timid part.

..now as she starts to grow up, I'll be entering new pics of her growth, and some of her fishing experiences, another thing I must do is to teach her how to fish..as you can see, she is waiting to have a native Indian name, hopefully in the next few weeks , the Lady who is in contact with me will send 3 names from which I can choose one, I'll post it when it is certain.

The Loss of my closes Companion...Nikita...

2010-04-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of my life being Alone! I'm writing this on the 14th. of April, 2010, 5:00 am...My Nikita died at 9:50 pm on the 13th. of April, 2010!

Last night I had to decide to either keep my companion alive or to let her pass over without any more pain.

Above is a pic of my 'coastal tundra wolf', she has been with me since she was 5 1/2 weeks old, and during her time alive, gave people of all ages her calmness and charm. Now most people will say that she is not a full wolf, but what do they know, they were not with me when I crawled down into her den to remove her and her 5 brothers and 1 sister. No one was there to see their mother, [who was a black coastal tundra wolf], had been shot and left by the entrance, nor did they searched like I did for the father...people can say what they want, for I know better.

Nikita, was a most loving animal in her right, with me, her kisses very rarely came, no licking on my face, just my hands..but to my sons ..well that was a different story. To my oldest, she had a special bond, from the moment she heard him come home, she greeted him with howls, and kisses to his face and the special greeting of baring her teeth. She loved him a lot, she played rough and tumble with him and will be missed by him, now on the other side came my youngest, she had decided that he was her pup, and every morning when she woke up , she would walk into his room, jump up onto his bed and give him 'kisses' until he got up. She gave to my boys feelings that lead them to get their own companion.

When we, Nikita and I lived on Vancouver Island before we came to Calgary, she and her brother Lobo [who has been dead for more than two years now], roamed the island as a pack..with Lobo out in lead as many times as he was allowed [for he was a 'beta', guard to the Alphas, Nikita and myself]. For my Nikita was an 'Alpha She Wolf', who from the moment we left our home, her tail was always in a shape of a half moon..this was her way of tell every canine that came close..beware for I'm the leader of this pack!

We would go out everyday sometimes for hours at a time, just walking in the quarry which was behind my place close to Shawnigan Lake , about 27 minutes driving time north of Victoria. This land was about 165 acres in area, owned by certain unions of BC. and opened to the public. In this area was bear, rabbit, black tailed deer and yes 'cougar'. Never seen nor heard of wolves there , not as long as we were living there, however, I have no knowledge of what is there after we left the Island.

I remember the first time I took the 50' lead off of Nikita and Lobo, they were now almost a year old, full of spit and vinegar..it was a most crucial moment I had with them..for it was my fear that once they were unleashed, their natural instinct would be to 'run' never to return to me. Well ..they ran, and ran they did..but it was so exciting to see them 'crisscross' about 30-50 yds., in front of me! Then something took place beyond my dreams..Nikita ..stopped as she crossed the path I was walking on, turned her head to see where I was, convinced that I was still walking towards the both of them, then proceeded to go on her merry way, doing the crisscross. My Wolves accepted me as their pack leader and from that day till my Lobo and now my gone Nikita, never strayed from my side.

I did mention there were cougars in back of my place, well , it was a Sunday morning around 5:00 am, as the sun opened up the day that Nikita came into my room, howling...this never happened before or since for that matter..I got up out of bed and followed her when she lead me to the back of the house to the patio door, which faced the large back deck, over looking the bush behind . Lobo was there already, growling, baring his teeth to a shadow that was pacing back and forth behind the patio blind. I approached the blind , started to open it up when we saw that a female cougar was on my back deck. What a sight..for she was beautiful, not large , maybe a young cat of two years or so, but none the less just bloody beautiful ! She was my first sighting and wouldn't be the last, for she return several times there after, and enjoyed laying out in the sun on my deck.So after the many times of her return, my wolves seemed to calm down, maybe cause they new no harm could come between them and her , cause of the patio door being so thick glass, who knows. Nikita would lay down on the carpet, in a ready position and watch the cat with curiosity, for as long as the cougar remained there.

I know that I shouldn't have encouraged the return of the cat, but ..that's me, never did adhere to society, I used to leave raw meat out on my deck for her..in hopes that she would return...and so she did.

There was one day when the three of us went walking in the quarry , a month or two from the cougar's visits, when Lobo spotted movement about a couple of hundred yards in front of us. I called him back , leashed the both of them up just in case, and sure enough..we saw 3 cats. Two were kittens, and then the mother laying up on a large bolder at least 5-10' from her off spring. Boy..another memorable moment of being on the Island, truly God's country. We never did see them again, nor did that female cougar ever return to visit.

Yes ..you should have guessed it by now that as I'm writing about Nikita I'm trying in my own way to let her go..it has been the hardest moment of my life to say good bye to her, sure I've had other wolves, dogs and other exotic animals all my life but None has touched my heart as my Nikita has, the pain of not seeing her anywhere in my place, just laying there close to me is truely ripping my heart in half.

The injury she asstained several weeks ago had taken it's toil. A neibouring dog, a mixed breed of rot and pit bull attempted to attack her while we were on our morning walk. This dog tried two times before and both times Nikita was the winner of the attack. However this time , Nikita had slipped on a pine cone, spreading out her hind legs, thus causing an internal injury. We left after that moment and walked very, very slow back to my place here in Calgary. For several days , she had trouble doing her normal body functions, and I've learnt from passed problems that a wolf can cure itself without the help of man. I was convinced that she had a muscle sprain, which oddly cured up after four days from that time with that dog. She appeared to be herself again, we went fishing together, we played like she used to, rough and tumble that is, had no problem of eating, or doing body functions, everything was back to normal. Until this past weekend..Saturday morning, going down the back steps of my place, she stumbled!..almost landing on her body at the base of the steps. We walked around the building, to a grassy area, she began to shake..then collapsed on the grass. My first thoughts were that she was having a stroke, for at the end of this year , she would have been 12 years old. After quite awhile she regained her strength, we went back into the house, and stayed there all weekend, except for the time she had to go out for body functions.

It wasn't till monday, that things were not right..her breathing changed, drinking way more water than usual,sleeping for very long periods, just everything seemed wrong! I called a vet to find out what could be happening, even though all of my wolves just saw a vet only to get their shots, but never again..this really was different..the next day , Tuesday the 13th.,I got help and put her in my truck and rushed her to the vet..

..it was then I was told that there was a tumor on her spleen which had probably broke when she did the splits and now has filled her stomach with blood. The doctor made it quite clear that even though he could put her under the knife and repair the damage, she had less than 30% to live a normal life thereafter. I was given the deadly decision of either having her go through the operation, which may or may not be suscessful or to put her out of pain.

I could not bare to see my companion suffer as she was doing so..and so, with a broken heart, I laid my Nikita to rest...........I'll never forget what you gave to me puppy, during our time together, people may think that I'm off track but until they connect with an animal that bonds with them, in the fashion that Nikita did with me, protecting me , just being there with me, doing all kinds of things with me, they will never know how much has been taken from me at that moment she closed her eyes and passed on.

..............I miss you my puppy!

Some of my Art Work...

2010-04-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I've trained myself to do graphic arts, I still belong to a very large community of art forums..it is from the talent that is in these forums that pushed me to learn and to express my talent, so..hopefully when you see the art, you will appreciate the pain of thought and composure it took to create them..........thank you for looking.

Now that you have seen some of my sigs, here is the other side for other people...please check out the 'Art Section'...

Black is Best!

2010-04-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

For the past three weeks, here at the Bow River, just south of Calgary, the Browns and Rainbows have been wakening from their winter sleep..here are a few pics to show you where the fish were waking up...

On the way to McKinnon Flats..these mountains are the Rockies which are West of Alberta dividing British Columbia, from the plaines...

McKinnon Flats...

Carsland Dam ..still south of the Flats..

Boy ..winter brings out the diehards...

..Despite the lower end of the Bow River, just at the edge of the city, the Bow is not covered in snow, but the brown grasses of fall is present. It is the starting point that brings out the fisherman be it gear or fly, the pursuit of trout takes place..with every fly fisher you will find an array of flies in their box, but it is a proven fact that only a small number of flies will bring trout to battle.

These flies will bring success to the fisher..

San Juan Worm in two styles..the common red worm tied with chenille..

and the wire San Juan Worm..

..griffin's gnat..

..Black Copper John..

these flies have been the key as of late, however,just in the past several days, the 'dry' flies down to size 16-20, [griffin's gnat] has brought many a first to the fishers around town.

with the odd big Brown taken on a leech..

Well, another moment in the fishing of the Bow River...
..tight lines amigos!

A few of my personal ties...

2010-04-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

Every so often, I get the urge to create, and because I'm into so many fishing forums all over the globe, where there are so many great tiers, this in it'self, inspires me to tackle the various patterns that has enticed trout all over.

...and so, here are a few that were tied over the winter months...

..Leeches..

...Odds and Sods...

This one is a personal creation...

..as the time goes on, I shall upload more ties with their respective pattern...

The Irresistable Stimulator by Charlie Dickson

2010-04-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

The most effective 'stimulators' going..here is the original tie and a series of colours...........

Original Irresistible Stimulator
Hook: 3xl Dry Fly Hook or Curved Dry Hook 8 – 16
Tail: Dark Gray Elk or Deer Hair
Abdomen: Gray Spun Deer Hair
Body Hackle: Brown Dry Fly Hackle
Wing: Dark Gray Elk or Deer Hair
Thorax: Gray Dubbing
Hackle: Grizzly
Thread: 6/0 Black

Orange Irresistible Stimulator
Hook: 3xl Dry Fly Hook or Curved Dry Hook 4 – 16
Tail: Natural Gray Elk or Deer Hair
Abdomen: Orange Spun Deer Hair
Body Hackle: Brown Dry Fly Hackle
Wing: Natural Gray Elk or Deer Hair
Thorax: Amber Dubbing
Hackle: Grizzly
Thread: 8/0 Orange

Olive Irresistible Stimulator
Hook: 3xl Dry Fly Hook or Curved Dry Hook 8 – 16
Tail: Light Elk or Deer Hair
Abdomen: Olive Spun Deer Hair
Body Hackle: Brown Dry Fly Hackle
Wing: Light Elk or Deer Hair
Thorax: Amber Dubbing
Hackle: Grizzly
Thread: 8/0 Orange

Gold Irresistible Stimulator
Hook: 3xl Dry Fly Hook or Curved Dry Hook 6 – 16
Tail: Golden Brown Elk or Deer Hair
Abdomen: Golden Brown Spun Deer Hair
Body Hackle: Dun Dry Fly Hackle
Wing: Golden Brown Elk or Deer Hair
Thorax: Orange Dubbing
Hackle: Brown
Thread: 8/0 Orange

Black Irresistible Stimulator
Hook: 3xl Dry fly Hook or Curved Dry Hook 6 – 16
Tail: Black Elk or Deer Hair
Abdomen: Black Spun Deer Hair
Body Hackle: Dun Dry Fly Hackle
Wing: Black Elk or Deer Hair
Thorax: Orange Dubbing
Hackle: Grizzly
Thread: 8/0 Orange

Yellow Irresistible Stimulator
Hook: 3xl Dry fly hook or curved dry hook 8 – 16
Tail: Light or bleached elk or deer hair
Abdomen: Yellow spun deer hair
Body Hackle: Brown dry fly hackle
Wing: Light or bleached elk or deer hair
Thorax: Amber dubbing
Hackle: Grizzly
Thread: 8/0 Orange

Hope you all find these colours to suit your needs while you entice the trout of your dreams............

My Avatar and Signature...

2010-04-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd put up a sample of my artistic talent with these pics....

..my Avatar:.. and now my Signature:...

2010-04-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Can you picture yourself standing there with rod in your hand, gazing at what nature has provided...