Welcome to Basin & Range Outdoors

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt

Basin & Range Outdoors was created to share the adventures experienced by two brothers in the American West. From the highest alpine terrains to the lowest sonoran deserts we will chronicle the pain and triumph that accompanies all of our outdoor pursuits.

There will be no high-fence hunts, no fly fishing lodges, no streamside caviar and wine breaks. Instead, you can expect cold nights sleeping in the dirt, flat tires on old trucks, and big dreams realized on small budgets. With Basin & Range Outdoors you will find useful reviews of hunting and fly fishing products, techniques, locations, and a general review of our outdoor expeditions on public land.




Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Don't Forget About the Browns


I imagine the float tubers and pontoon boaters are starting to garnish Pass Lake in search of the ultimate chironomid hatch.  Chironomid fishing seems to typify spring lake fishing in Island County.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, fishing 'mids can be very productive.  That being said, I wouldn't forget about the large German Browns that prowl the periphery of Pass Lake.  I would say that 90% or our time fishing
Pass Lake was spent casting and stripping big flies in search of large browns.  We have caught browns from mid winter to mid summer and every season in between.  Some of our biggest browns were caught in mid winter.  A big, heavy, white fly my brother ties, called "The Carpet Bomb", cast to shore and stripped fast is remarkably effective.  

Check out this article from The Seattle Times (1995):  Pass Lake Fishing Good Despite Cold


I accidentally cutoff Tate's head in this picture.  Unfortunately this ended up being one of the biggest browns we have caught on Pass Lake. It stretched more than 28".
Tate pounding the shores of Pass Lake with his deadly white fly "The Carpet Bomb".