Michael Gracie

I spend a lot of time outdoors, and most of that standing knee deep in rivers. I’m also semi-famous for doing faceplants while wading, and getting soaked doesn’t bode well for digital cameras. Hence, I’ve kept the camera I have, a little Olympus 435, in a Pelican case tucked away in a pack. I miss a lot of shots because it’s tough access (particularly if you have a rod in one hand and a net full of fish in the other).

I wanted a waterproof compact, but choices were slim - then I found the Pentax Optio W30. I checked out the reviews, and it seemed to fit the bill (and used regular SD cards instead of xD cards like the Olympus Stylus). American Express came to the rescue for roughly 50,000 points (and delivered it in two days flat - I was impressed).

I’d like to say I’m just as impressed with the camera, but the thing has so many bells and whistles it is going to take a few outings to figure them all out (don’t say read the manual - it just won’t happen). Meanwhile, I caught this photo just after dusk yesterday…

Not too bad, I guess (for someone who doesn’t have a clue).

The real test will be if it can catch trout pics while the fish are still “at home”…

So stinking difficult!!!

I’ve been skunked for the first time this season. Cheesman Canyon got the best of me - I think that’s an “again” too, since I’ve been held to zero there before.

FYI - the water is flowing strong, but still crystal, and the crossings weren’t particularly tricky either (even for a guy who is well known for face plants). Fish are, as expected, hugging the banks. And they’re spooky as usual.

Some BWOs came by as the clouds moved in. I threw them, along with WD-40s and assorted other midges. Stripped baby beadhead woolies as dusk set in - no luck there either.

However, I still had some luck - on the way home a call came in - there were several single malts which required my attention (I think that meant before the bottles were emptied). I took those folks up on the offer, and all is good (well kinda good).

I am now hell bent on getting dialed into Cheesman - I mean really wiring the place. Any tips/tricks are appreciated.

PS: My camera got soaked when my chestpack, lying quitely on a rock, took it upon itself to roll off said rock and into the river. By the time I got over to it, the whole thing was drenched, camera included. So I am also looking for camera recommendations, as while I’m drying this one out and keeping my fingers crossed, I suspect it is toast.

UPDATE: Ode to precision screwdrivers and patience. Completely dismantled the Olympus 435, and found a few water droplets here and there. Reassembled and now working, although I have an extra screw and a little clip of some type (that always happens - extra parts!).