We have decided to do our roof this way, since Experienced roofers suggest it is better to have Slate Tile Roofs.
The Roof Project
The Roofing ProjectThe Roofing ProjectThe Roofing Project
If you’ve been wonderings why things have been slow around the site, here is the reason. Headed back to NY and with the help of my brothers and some good friends from home, we put a new roof on my mom’s house. Between all of the broken rafters and new venting that we did to the place, it took us a solid two weeks with some very long days. It sure is nice to be done and I was able to squeeze a bit of fishing before taking off back to AZ. I am really excited for the fall here in Arizona and the fishing and hunting opportunities that are coming up.
The weekend of June 30, I had the opportunity to head to the high country of Arizona and participate in the Hunting and Angling Heritage Workgroup for the second time. The winter meeting was a great opportunity to get introduced to many of the members of the HAHWG, and I was extremely excited by what this group of outdoorsman was doing. The HAHWG’s goal is “to gather leaders in the industry, conservation groups, youth groups and wildlife management professionals to synergistically preserve the hunting angling tradition.” The workgroup is organized by the Arizona Game and Fish Department in coordination with a steering committee. Craig McMullen and Doug Burt of AZGFD do a fantastic job of orchestrating the event, and the special speakers and group discussions were genuine.
The long and short of the Hunting and Angling Heritage workgroup is this: Outdoorsman – hunters, anglers, trappers, etc. – have a vested interest in passing on the heritage of these outdoor activities to the next generation. The HAHWG was formed in order to organize individuals and organizations in order to protect, preserve, and pass on these traditions to the next generation of outdoorsman.
One of the main focuses of the group is to actively mentor and introduce new outdoorsmen to the outdoors and the opportunities that are in our great state. The Arizona Game and Fish has done a great job of showcasing the many FREE camps, clinics, and events that the different organizations put on for the public.
As I continue to follow the efforts of the HAHWG and AZGFD, I am very excited about the future and the lives that will be impacted by the great outdoors. I realize that as an outdoorsman, it is my duty to pass on the knowledge and joy of the outdoors to the next generation, just as my dad, grandfather, uncles, and other various old timers did for me.
The story goes: I hiked for a long ways. Spotted a big fish. Against all odds, my 20 minute stalk worked, with the big boy taking a brown mini-hopper. About 15 minutes later, I paid the price for this monster with a #8 hook in the face. My fault. Had my good buddy Antonio push the hook the rest of the way through, crimp the barb, and then back out.
For the record: I would take a hook in the face any day for a fish like this.
From Switzerland we took a train to Italy where we spent 5 nights in Vernazza, one of the five towns of Cinque Terre. We wandered from town to town and enjoyed the slow pace of of small town life. Arguably the best food and wine of our trip was here in Cinque Terre, and we thouroughly enjoyed waking up every morning to the sea crashing into the harbor. From Cinque Terre, we took a little over a week bouncing down to Pisa, Florence, and ultimately Rome. Seeing these ancient cities was a great way to round out our trip, and after a long plane ride we found ourselves back in the hellish summer temps of Arizona.
Thanks for coming along on our European adventure. You can see more pictures on the Arizona Wanderings Facebook Page. Back to the regular summer fishing posts shortly.
Vernazza, ItalyVernazza, Italy from the trail PastaManarola, ItalyLeaning Tower of PisaThe ColosseumSt. Peter's BasilicaThe Pantheon in RomeEuro Cup 2012
From our beautiful stay at the Manior de Malvoisine, my wife and I took the train to the Palace of Versailles. We wandered around the beautiful and lavish palace and then walked through the maze of gardens. We were informed that each flower and all plants in the garden were kept in healthy conditions with this organic plant fertilizer they purchase. The gardens are absolutely beautiful, as well as the architecture. We were in awe of the extravagance that the French royalty lived in and really enjoyed the buildings and grounds. After Versailles, we boarded a train for Switzerland. In our planning, Switzerland had been a bit of an afterthought and we had not really expected much from our day and half there. We split our time between the two cities of Bern and Luzern, and spent a great amount of time just walking the streets and seeing the exquisite architecture. Again, the pictures do a better job explaining then my words. Enjoy.
The Palace of VersaillesThe Palace of VersaillesThe Palace of VersaillesThe Gardens of VersaillesLuzern, SwitzerlandLuzern, SwitzerlandTraditional Swiss FonduLuzern, SwitzerlandLuzern, SwitzerlandThe AlpsLöwendenkmal - The Lion Monument in Luzern, SwitzerlandThe Bears of Bern, SwitzerlandThe Bear Pits in Bern, SwitzerlandDinner in Bern, Switzerland
Knowing that I was going to be in Europe, I could not help getting on Google and seeing if there was anywhere for me to do a bit of fishing along the way. My wife rolled her eyes when she found out what I was doing, but it was already too late. One of my searches took me to the website of the Manor of Malvoisine. I sent an email and in no time at all I was talking with Adrian and Hedy Thompson and had booked a night for my wife and I.
The Front Gate of the Manoir de Malvoisine
The Manoir de Malvoisine is situated right on the Andelle and Heronchelle Rivers which are two fairly famous chalkstreams in Normandy, France. The fortified Manoir had been built around the 12th century, along with other structures like it, as a part of the defense system in the area. It changed hands many times through the years, and during World War II it had been occupied by the Nazis and then later taken when the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy. It is said that both Churchill and Eisenhower favored the Andelle and fished it often. Adrian and Hedy bought the Manor several years ago and have put love and hard work into the buildings and rivers. They now run it as a fly fishing retreat with more information at chalkstream.net.
After a fantastic lunch, I strung up my little 8 piece 6’6″ Black Bear Fiberglass rod, and Michelle and I set off down the Andelle. Adrian had walked the beat with me earlier and showed me the immense property. One thing I had not fully realized is that when you book a day or night at the Manoir, it is exclusively yours. No one else will be there, save Adrian and Hedy, so you have over a mile or two of prime fishing all to yourself.
Selecting a fly on the Andelle
My wife tagged along with her camera as I began to fish, and in the back of my mind is the sinking fear that I might not catch anything. She always sees my photos and reads my posts, but when the rubber meets the road, I’m still a guy trying to impress a girl. With no big bugs on the water and no rocks to flip over, I figured, go with what you know – a mini-hoppper. Third cast and BOOM, a nice little brown trout was on the end of my line. My girl was impressed.
An Andelle Brown Trout
Michelle snapped a few quick photos and I released the brown back to the small riffle that he came from. With the weight of the actually catching a fish taken off my shoulders, I relaxed and got into the groove of fishing. Fishing a chalkstream was much different than the free stone creeks of the Adirondacks and the West that I am used to fishing.
The French have good taste
I fished for the next several hours and caught three fish total for the afternoon. After all the walking and running around that we had done in Paris, Malvoisine was like a slice of heaven. Michelle had been worried about what she was going to do while I fished, but after falling asleep on a blanket next to the river, she woke and relaxed while reading a book. We were both so refreshed as we headed inside to clean up for dinner.
Free-range eggs a.k.a. the golden egg
All the food provided by Adrian and Hedy was fresh and wonderful. All their food is homegrown and what little they don’t grow and harvest on their property, comes from the surrounding farms. We ate in style for every meal with highlights being: homemade jams, self-harvested honey, homemade cider champagne, and so much more. Michelle and I fell in love with Adrian and Hedy and truly enjoyed getting to know them. We talked and laughed long into the night.
Dinner at the Manoir de Malvoisine
Michelle and I had only planned to stay at Malvoisine for one night, but halfway through dinner we realized that was a joke. Adrian and Hedy had an opening for the following night so we decided to enjoy the good life and stay another night. With rain in the forecast, things did not look good for fishing the Andelle again, and when I woke the next morning, the river was chocolate soup. Luckily, Adrian also owns a beat along the Heronchelle which is a short walk from the Manor. The Heronchelle is much closer to its source and so therefore was not terribly affected by rain.
The Heronchelle
The Heronchelle is a beautiful stretch of water, but did not always look this perfect. Prior to the Manoir obtaining the beat, cattle grazed right to the waters edge and beyond. Since securing the rights to fish it a year or two ago, Adrian has worked closely with the Wild Trout Trust in monitoring and improving the habitat for the resident brown trout.
Royal Wulff and Mayfly
I stalked the banks and in the face of a fairly stiff wind made a valiant effort to present flies to a few fish. I missed one, LDRed another, and spooked a few more. A beautiful and humbling day on the water to say the least, and I walked back to the main house hungry and ready for another delicious meal.
A toast to the Queen's Jubilee
I truly struggled while writing this brief account of our time at the Manoir de Malvoisine. It was such an unbelievable time that it is impossible to do it justice in words. Fly fishing in France was one of the coolest things I was able to do on my trip, but it would not have been the same without Adrian and Hedy. Michelle and I both enjoyed the time we spent there and look forward to going back again in the future.
Our journey started with a short jaunt from Phoenix to Chicago and then a long flight to Paris, France. Michelle and I disembarked the plane, wide-eyed and unable to read any of the signs. With a little bit of figuring and asking the right questions, we were able to get on the right train and make our way to our hostel. We stayed for three nights in Paris and had a wonderful time walking through the streets and seeing the beautiful sights. I’m afraid a true play-by-play may get a bit old, so here are some of the highlights:
The Eiffel TowerThe LouvreInside the LouvreFrench PaninisNotre DameA contemplative Michelle inside Notre DameA look across Paris from the top of Notre DameThe Garden of LuxembourgThe PantheonLa Sainte-Chappelle - arguably one of the most beautiful churches that we sawThe Arc de TriumphOn top of the Arc de TriumphArc de Triumph towards the Eiffel Tower
