Scott's Shots

I'm branching out a bit - check out the car videos.    Videos

Check out the link to the right - videos, poems and a short story.    Videos, Poems & A Short Story

A phrase that fits me quite well comes from every fly fisher's movie - "A River Runs Through It" -

"I am haunted by water....."

Questions, comments or just say 'hey' - email me at scott@scottsshots.com

You'll hear music on most of the picture pages.  Several are from the movie "A River Runs Through It", by Mark Isham.  Some from the movie "Dances With Wolves" by John Barry and a few others by John.  Some from the movie "The Natural" by Randy Newman.  Others are instrumental from Maranatha!, Kari Jobe, Amy Grant, Chris Tomlin, Instrumental Christian Music, David Bauer, Mark Baldwin, Piano Brothers, O'Neill Brothers, Skylar Grey,  Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble,  Tarja, Epica & King's Kaleidoscope.. I'm expanding my musical horizons to include some new genres: symphonic metal & goth metal. You'll be hearing more of each.

In early August, '21, my Mom and Dad got what they thought were bad colds; it was Covid. With Pop's weakened immune system and blood disorder, it moved into his lungs and turned into pneumonia. After battling pneumonia for a month at home, we got him to the hospital because they could treat his pneumonia and give him a blood transfusion. This would get him on the road to recovery. On Thursday, September 16, the day we got him to the hospital, he passed away. He stopped breathing, then his heart stopped 3 times, the third time, they couldn't revive him.
I wasn't been working, so I was able to be there for both of them the last several weeks, helping Mother take care of Pop and helping her with anything else she needed.
The head nurse in the ER on told us that he was an absolute pleasure and even in his pain, he joked with them. This was the kind of man he was. He loved, lived and did everything to the best of his ability; or has he would say, he did it "as unto the Lord."
I am truly blessed to have had such an amazing man as my father and 2nd best friend (my wife is my best friend).
We started fishing every year in 1976 and made our last and probably best year in 2019. Pop caught the biggest, fattest rainbows he'd ever caught that year on the North Platte River. We made 43 years. I sure wished it could have been 53 years......
I created this website years ago for me and for Pop. He could come here and check out fishing I've done with others, as well as our trips. He loved my first Powerpoint to music - Serenity. He loved them all. His favorites were Serenity, Wonderful World, Lilies of the Field and under Poems & Things, How Great Is Our God; which he wrote. Of course, he loved Pop's Epic Battle, as well. The last one I added - Hauntingly Beautiful - would have been a favorite of his, too.
If you feel so inclined, check those 5 out, and, maybe, shoot me an email letting me know what you thought.
Scott

I was BLESSED to have my Dad teach me to fish when I was only 3.  Once we move out to California several years later, we discovered the Sierra Nevada Mountains and started backpacking and fishing.  1976 started our 1st annual (we didn't know it then) backpacking/camping/fishing trips.  The backpacking/camping ended many years ago, but morphed into our week long adventures around the west.

I'm BLESSED to have a beautiful wife that supports me fishing, brothers-in-law, a cousin and a couple of close friends that all love to fish.

I'm BLESSED that every guide we've ever had, has been exceptional.  They've been extremely friendly, they know the water we're fishing on (even what type of fish are in a certain part of the lake) and have been very attentive to Pop.  I couldn't have asked for better. Special thanks to our guides over the years - Steve, Craig, Mike & Troy, Dale, Eric, Joel, Keaton, Jack Trout (and Beef Dog, no longer with us), Bryant & Logan.

Please check out these pictures from California, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.  The outdoors are for everyone.  So, when you're out there, make sure that you respect Nature and all the natural surroundings......we need to make it last for all generations to come.

In 2009 my cousin Randy introduced me to bass fishing.  Being a die-hard trout man (especially fly fishing), this was a big jump for me.  Since then, we're regulars to Lake Hodges (Escondido), El Capitan Reservoir (Lakeside) and a new to us, Lower Otay (Chula Vista).  If you're wondering how I could make that jump; we started with poppers and top water jigs.  They're the dry flies of bass fishing.  When you're dry fly fishing and you see that trout come up and take the fly; it's the same for bass.  You're reeling in that popper, making it splash and dart and that big bass comes up and grabs it; WOW!  Just as exciting as the trout on the dry fly.  After catching some 5 pound bass and 5 pound trout (fly rod), both fight hard and are a kick in the pants!

When we bate or lure fish for trout from the shore or boat, we use ultra-light spinning rods.  4'8"  (perfect float tube rod) to 6' long and rated at 1-4 pound test.  Our reels have 2 pound test line on them.  Landing a trout 2 pounds or larger is a feat of playing the fish.  Loads of fun!

I want to give a shout out to the men and women of the California Department of Fish & Game (CA DFG); for that matter, all DFG & Forest Service people.  Many people think that they're just 'cops' out to harass us.  This is not true, at all.  They just want to protect the wildlife and outdoors for all of us to use.  Next time you see one of them, chat with them and thank them for their service. 

Since we've fished in Wyoming a few times now, both Pop and I subscribe to the Fishing Update from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.  There's a link to share photos or email them in, so I did.  I mentioned that 2016 was our 40th year of fishing together every year and Pop was my lifelong fishing buddy.  I also mentioned that we lived in So. Cal. and we'd tried Hamsfork for the first time.  Little did I know that Sara (Wyoming Game & Fish Department) would publish it.  When I got the email blast from them, I had a very pleasant surprise; the best part of which was that Pop got the email before I did and read it first.  Then he called me all excited.  A blessing in disguise!

As if our 40th anniversary trip wasn't special enough, this just topped it off!  A big "THANK YOU!" to Sara DiRienzo @ Wyoming Game and Fish Department for posting this.

Want a custom rod built? Check out some examples of what can be done. Rod Examples

Interested in Fly Tying?  Some basic flies and patterns Flies & Patterns

I've got new software to create the picture pages. It's called jAlbum and works pretty slick.

Visit them at: jAlbum.net

Please note - while some of the picture pages will work with Internet Explorer, all are best viewed with Chrome, Edge or Firefox. One other thing - all of the picture pages are set to music. Some browsers don't start the music automatically. If yours doesn't, go to the upper right corner and click the Play button. If you hover over the play button, you can control the volume and even see the name of the song. Please enjoy!

Small Stream Article     Eastern Sierras Past Years     Lake Athabasca 2000     Eastern Sierras '02     North Umpqua Info

North Umpqua '02     Walker Lake '03    Eastern Sierras '03     North Umpqua '03     Remote Hike '03    

Eastern Sierras '04     Coyote Flats '04     June Lake - Bodie '04     Walker Lake '05     Eastern Sierras '05

Tubing Lake Gregory '05      North Umpqua '05      Walker Lake '06      Walker '06 Info      Utah Wyoming '06