Only a couple more days left

With the regular trout fishing season ending Sept. 30, there are only a couple more days to get out. The rivers are in great shape, the fall colors are at their peak, and the fish are still willing to eat a fly. Get out and catch a few more before the temperatures cool and the season closes.

Fish of 10,000 casts wins again

With a couple of days off this week, I headed for northern Wisconsin and continued on my quest for a musky. I replaced the 4-weight rods littering my truck with a 10 weight, tossed in the musky flies I had tied, and employed the services of a couple top-notch musky hunters. My first stop was in St. Germain where I met up with my buddy Greg. The weather had taken a definite turn for the worse with northwest winds howling at 20 miles per hour and crystal clear blue skies ushered in on the heels of a cold front. We fought the conditions for four hours on a nearby lake and never moved a fish. The next day the winds had died down and the temperatures had warmed up to 70 degrees (still not ideal conditions for my chosen prey).  I managed to get two follows, one from a fish in the upper 40-inch class, and soaked in the peaking fall colors. By now, my casting arm was sore and my hand was covered with blisters from tossing the big rod and flies. Day Three brought more sunny skies and warmer temperatures. I met up with Bob in Hurley and we fished a nearby flowage in the morning and lake in the afternoon.  Neither of us moved a fish. The bad news is that, after three days, the fish of 10,000 casts had won again. The good news? I have an excuse to try again when my schedule allows.

Another week of fine fishing

September has offered a flurry of activity for me. Heavy rain last week literally muddied the waters, but I was (pleasantly) shocked at how quickly they dropped and cleared.  Randy and Tom arrived just after 3.6 inches of rain and we spent the first day in the drift boat chasing pike. Hitting a lake after the high temperatures have dropped 20 degrees isn’t always productive, but the pike still went about their business, albeit a bit more slowly. They certainly needed some extra enticement, but when that happened Randy and Tom found themselves holding fast to their fly rod as a mean toothy critter pulled on the other end.  The next two days we chased brook trout (which were still eating hoppers) and hauled in many brookies in the foot-long category.  Jim then joined me for a day of fishing and had a marvelous time catching rainbows in the morning and brookies in the afternoon. The rainbows preferred a girdle bug, while the brookies were still inhaling hoppers. Fall is definitely in the air and the roads are filled with bear and grouse hunters. The trees are nearing their peak which means if you want to get out one more time before the regular season closes, you had better hurry.

Rainy weather slows fishing

The past week has been a tough one for trout fishing. Copious amounts of rain brought rivers up, turning those running through clay soil into muddy messes and making those which remained clear hard to wade. It didn’t do much for the fish either as they were reluctant to eat. Caddis and hoppers were the best producers on top and black buggers proved the best below the surface. The finest fishing came in the form of pike, which remain in the shallows and continue to eat savagely. The first few days of this week will be sunny, but the bottom is scheduled to drop out Wednesday as a cold front will lower highs into the 40s and 50s. Next weekend looks to be better if the forecast holds. Regardless of the weather, there is still time to be out chasing fish.

Still time to make some memories

Our fall weather has definitely arrived and the rain gauge has been quite busy as of late. Whereas a few weeks ago, I was hoping for rain to cool warming stream temperatures, I am now wishing it would stop. Our larger rivers are back to being a bit challenging from a wading stand-point  (a simple way of saying be careful out there) and our smaller streams are inching their way up to the point where they should start fishing well again.

I began the week rowing Pete and Bob around in search of northern pike. It was a windy day and a challenge for both oarsman and angler. Fortunately both were up to the task and we had plenty of action from feisty pike willing to hammer a fly. Both Pete and Bob also landed a smallmouth, an exciting addition any time one eats. Pete and Bob visited me in July for some trout fishing and it was a joy to spend more time with them as I enjoy their fishing knowledge and sense of humor.

This weekend I was visited by Dean and Eileen. Dean is yet another of the fine Trout Unlimited volunteers who ventured north this summer. We began the day in search of brook trout which were, admittedly hard to come by recently. Nonetheless, both caught fish. I was quite impressed by Eileen’s casting, mending and overall fly fishing skills. While still a young angler by many standards, she learns quickly and has skills I didn’t learn until I was much older than she. This was especially evident in the afternoon when we shifted gears and jumped into the drift boat. Despite having never held a 6-weight rod, thrown a sinking line nor casted a pike-sized streamer, she performed admirably in windy conditions and boated her first northern pike. I didn’t get a chance to fish with her father Dean in the morning (as he asked me to fish with Eileen), but I quickly realized the apple had not fallen too far from the tree. Dean’s casting prowess brought multiple grabs and a number fish to the boat. Bald eagles nearby and a few crimson maples added to the experience, one I will remember for a long time.

This is the last month of the regular trout season, so get out there and enjoy the fall while there's still time to make some memories of your own.

Fall makes an early entrance

The weather this week took on a fall-like look with highs in the 60s, drizzly days and foggy mornings. Some trees are starting to take on red colors, especially those in wet areas. The cooler weather has helped stream temperatures retreat from the upper 60s into the lower 60s, good news for the fish. The inch of rain we received, however, has not done much for the smaller streams which continue to trickle north toward Lake Superior.

Hoppers remain the go-to fly for brook trout as they are looking up for that meaty meal even on rainy days. Larger rainbows and browns have been hard to come by, despite near-perfect streamer and nymph weather.

I fished with Tom this week and found clear evidence of that fishing report. Our morning resulted in a lot of water covered with streamers and nymphs for little reward, our mid-day garnered many nice brook trout on hoppers, and our late day on skinny water found us challenged by small brook trout that would only eat size 20 Adams Parachutes. Fortunately Tom was a superb caster and quick study who endured the lulls and relished the mid-day flurry of activity. 

The next month promises to provide a rainbow of colors courtesy of the trees and the brook trout, both of which will soon be sporting their fall colors.

Beginner's luck only strikes once

As a fishing guide the word beginner can have a number of different meanings, the most likely to come to mind is that it’s going to be a long day untying mistakes and retying flies. Western guides are used to it as beginners show up in the fly shop dressed to kill in Orvis gear and ready to experience The River Runs Through It. However in my neck of the woods, where a common bumper sticker reads “The Upper Peninsula. Where the Middle of Nowhere is Somewhere,” beginners aren’t usually part of the guiding game.

I have known Jeff for a couple of years, as he is a local contractor who has built a couple of buildings for me. During our last project together, he expressed an interest in learning to fly fish and we spent one lunch break with an impromptu fly-casting lesson. Jeff is one of those few genuinely nice people you meet in life and I really looked forward to fishing with him. Before we parted ways, he told me to call him when I had a day off.

With the hopper bite in full bloom, I called Jeff late last week to see if he had time in his schedule to do a bit of fishing.  One of the first things you should learn is that if a contractor can show up right away, he’s not the person to hire. Jeff, who is always busy, said he had to work Saturday morning but would be interested in a trip after he got done with work. He showed up with job trailer in tow and an old fiberglass rod his dad had used, a 7/8 weight that would have been fine if we had been looking to fish steelhead but was a wee bit overkill for the brook trout we were targeting.

Following a relatively short hike to the stream (relatively in these parts means a half mile), a quick refresher course in casting, and ten casts, Jeff had hooked his first trout on a fly rod. He nearly fell backwards into the stream in the excitement of it all, but the enthusiasm he openly showed said it all … another fly angler had been born.

We fished three more hours, during which Jeff caught any number of brook trout approaching 12 inches. He did eventually make the literal plunge and I’m not sure if the look on his face was a look of panic or surprise at the 11-inch fish on the end of his line (which he did land once I pulled him up from the sitting position as water ran into his waders). He marveled, as we all do, even those who have caught hundreds of fish, at the slow, methodical rise of trout to his hopper and the ear-to-ear grin he wore as we stepped out of the river said it all. My only thought was to offer two apologies … one to his wife and the other to his bank account. 

As for the fishing, it continues to be great. Big fish are chasing streamers even in the mid-day heat. That heat and the lack of rain has some streams approaching the critical 70-degree mark so carry a thermometer and find another stream if the one you are on gets too warm. I did that Sunday night and chased muskies for the first time with a fly rod. I didn’t catch any fish, but did have a heart-stopping follow by a nice fish. I just wish I would have had Jeff’s beginner’s luck but alas, that luck only struck once.

No time for my waders to dry

It’s hard to believe that August is already upon us. Gone are the God-awful mosquito hordes of June and the jumbo-jet sized horseflies of early July. The deer flies of mid-July are still an occasional annoyance, although easy to deal with given the memory of insects past.

The fishing, as of late, has been lights out depending upon the river you have chosen for the day. Despite steady rains, some rivers have reached their low point and the clear waters have made even the most fly-friendly trout spooky. The lower flows, however, have made the larger rivers much more accessible to the wade angler … provided you know the river, as one misstep can lead to sheer panic or worse.

On those rivers, mornings have provided the proverbial “Zero to Hero” opportunity, where an inch more or less on a cast can have you hooked on a log or battling a trout thick in the shoulders and mad as hell. Fish in the upper teens, pushing twenty inches, are now showing up in the net. Afternoons have meant hoppers and non-stop action with sizeable brook trout.

I had the pleasure of fishing with Kirk on Saturday, another of several Trout Unlimited members I have guided who volunteer countless hours to protect our cold-water resources.  We began the day on a lower stretch of one of our rivers known to give up big fish and that it did. Kirk hooked and landed two impressive rainbows in the upper teens and (sorry to reveal this Kirk) hooked a monster brown that did everything a big fish does to escape. The 20-plus inch fish’s first ploy was an impressive leap to what seemed like face level followed immediately by a run to the only piece of wood nearby, a four-inch chunk sticking nearly vertical from the river bottom to about one foot out of the water. Not much was said after it released itself on that piece of wood. We simply savored the perfect cast, drift and hook set that led to the encounter. Neither angler nor guide did anything wrong … the fish just won the battle. The afternoon was filled with ravenous brook trout approaching a foot, all of which were eager to chase a hopper or a bushy stonefly attractor. We lost count of the number of fish brought to hand, always a good sign of how the day went. 

The start of August has truly been special and one can only believe that the madness will continue. It’s going to be a long time before my waders get a chance to dry.

Brookies, rainbows and hoppers

It has been another busy week here in Trout Creek, MI. Randy and Steve joined me for a couple of days of great fishing, great meals (if I do say so myself, given the fact that I cooked them), and great camaraderie. We began their adventure catching numbers of brook trout and ended it catching quality. Randy is an exceptional angler who selflessly gave up time with me for his good friend Steve. Steve hadn’t had a fly rod in his hand in a year, but proved that fly-fishing is like riding a bicycle. Both caught an amazing number of brook trout up to a foot long and Steve finished off the trip landing a large-shouldered, 17-inch rainbow on a Copper John, despite having never thrown a nymph rig in this life and overcoming that steep learning curve in just two pools.

The weather continues on its roller-coaster fashion. Last week Tuesday morning, residents covered their gardens for fear of frost, while Monday the high broke 90 degrees for the first (and hopefully only) time this year. Now we are back in the 70s, a much better temperature for fish and anglers alike. If you follow my Twitter account, you will already know that hoppers are the newest game in town. I had a day off on Sunday and absolutely hammered brook trout on a new stretch of river I had never fished. If you are looking to head for the U.P., now is the time.

Busy, fishy days in the U.P.

It has been an incredibly busy past few weeks as clients have come and gone from three different states. I fished with Sean and his son Jacob in late June. Sean recorded a U.P. Fly Angler first with a double Michigan Hat Trick, that being a brown, brook and rainbow trout from the same river on the same day. Sean did it on two different rivers and topped off that feat by catching a nice smallmouth bass. I fished with Pete and Bob in early July who proved themselves to be not only fine anglers, but just plain great guys to be around. David made the long trek from the Gulf Coast to spend four days hammering nice brook trout and spending a great morning catching northern pike from my drift boat. He even pulled in a 20-inch walleye from a deep river pool. On my rare days off, I managed to finish my camp sauna, allowing guests to fish brook trout during the day, relax in 140-degree comfort as night falls, and complete the day with a locally-made pasty. If you don’t know what a pasty is, you really need to experience one made by the local “Pasty Lady.”

The roller-coaster weather has been an issue as we seem to have either days in the upper 70s or days in the 50s. The fishing, though,  has taken a definite turn from sub-surface to dry flies. While streamers still are the ticket early in the morning, the fish have turned on to Royal Trudes, caddis and hoppers once the day has warmed up and bubble lines have become the drift of choice. The mosquitoes and deer flies have even slowed down significantly. It is a great time to fish the U.P. so if you have any interest, visit our website, shoot us an email, and get ready for some wilderness fishing.

Another "first" in my life

There are firsts in your life, even as you approach middle age. There are the usual. Watching your daughter get married, having your first colonoscopy and getting your first AARP correspondence come to mind among many others which I’m too shy or too sensitive to mention. For those of us lucky enough to spend a hundred or more days a year in waders, there are still firsts and this week I had one of them.

I was fishing a stretch of a large river that I had not been on before but had recently gained access to through a private landowner. Having fished the river many times before, albeit upstream where wading is simply treacherous rather than downright dangerous, I was anxious to see what it held in store. I fished it at high noon, thinking that if I could move fish then, I’d have the world by the balls rather than the other way around which is typical, if you know what I mean.

I fished downstream to a rather fishy pool, shaded by a white pine it would have taken four grown men (or extremely tall women) to get their arms around. It was perched atop the outside of an undercut bank that had me dreaming of a 20-inch brown trout grabbing the girdle bug or Copper John I was patiently drifting through its lair. The tree’s base had been eroded enough for me to see its massive roots, started during its seedling days that likely began before the days of Prohibition, a time that would have put me and all of my friends in jail (not that I have many friends nor that we drink a lot). A small trickle of six-inch boulders falling into the water followed by a groan of its massive trunk probably signaled its demise, but what the hell, it was still a fishy-looking spot.

Another gust of wind, no twitches from my Thingamabobber, and another groan from the tree ultimately sealed the deal and I moved upstream to await its fate. I would love to tell you that as soon as I moved away the relic hit the stream, but it was about ten minutes after I had moved on that the groan evolved into an audible crack and the familiar sound of a tree going down screamed out. The subsequent splash of water was all I needed to know that I had moved on just in the nick of time.

For those who showed up for a fishing report, fishing continues to improve and we had just under an inch of rain on Friday, something the fish needed. Cooler weather also arrived and the combination should keep the fish happy. Streamers continue to catch the most fish, especially on cloudy days. 

To those who are spending a few days with me this summer, you will be happy to learn that the screen porch/sauna is taking shape and I am hoping it will be ready for my 4^th of July guests.

No time like the present

Everyone who gets into guiding does so for his or her own reasons. For me, it was a desire to meet new people, enjoy seeing their faces as they caught fish or looked around at the beauty of the Upper Peninsula, and do a bit of teaching if they felt they needed improvement in a certain area. This week I got a chance to do all three as I guided Norm and Tory.

Norm openly admitted they were “low-maintenance” folks and indeed they were. Both worked hard for the entire trip even as the day neared its end and we were all clearly tired from our day on the water. Both caught fish (I won’t say who caught more) and, I hope, everyone learned something (including me).  All-in-all, it was a fine day on the water with some wonderful clients.

As for this week’s fishing report, I can finally report that water levels have dropped to the point where all streams are now ready to wade. The fish are more active on smaller streams, taking crystal buggers, soft hackles, and stimulators. Sculpzillas have moved the largest fish as have girdle bugs. Cooler weather this week (we had two nights with a low at or just below 40 degrees) has stream temperatures holding at or below 60 degrees. There's no time like the present to plan a trip to the U.P.

An interesting week of fish

This has been an interesting week in the U.P. The first few days an angler found little water not blown out by the 2.5 inches of rain that fell over the weekend. By Thursday, however, most waters had cleared and dropped to provide angling opportunities. Stained waters had fish willing to eat and, when they did, it was without hesitation. Streamers were hit hard and nymphs were inhaled as soon as they hit the water. Clear waters had fish willing to chase streamers and dries, but with a bit more hesitation. The key on those streams was patience … a slight pause was needed to entice a strike. Cooler weather moved in this morning and rain is falling making it feel more like fall than summer. Water temperatures are at or just above 60 degrees area wide, so the cooler temperatures are welcome. The biggest issue right now is the mosquitoes. They are simply ravenous. But then again, what’s a few bug bites when the fish are biting?

Finally ... Hot, dry weather brings insects, fish to the surface

A week of hot, dry weather has made quite a difference in the western Upper Peninsula.  Whereas most streams were still not safe to fish last Sunday, only a few remain unsafe right now. The hot weather (temperatures pushing 90 degrees) brought a multitude of hatches and, on any given day, one saw caddis, Hendricksons, March Browns and Sulphurs in the air. The smorgasbord meant fish never really tuned into one specific fly pattern so silver buggers, tan caddis and royal trudes proved to be the best producers of fish. Some much-needed rain is on its way for the next couple of days as well as cooler temperatures. Hopefully the cooler weather helps the mosquito population calm down as they have been a real nuisance during the early mornings and late evenings.

Almost ready to go

We finally got a stretch of warm, dry weather and it appears we are headed in the right direction. The trees are beginning to show leaves and there are more and more bugs showing up in the air. In the past few days, I have seen some Hendricksons and a number of brown and black stoneflies. I also got my first mosquito bite of the year on Sunday. Water temperatures have reached 50 degrees and one stream was as high as 56 degrees. There are still only a handful of streams that are safe to wade, but it is possible to catch fish if you are willing to work hard for the few you do catch. Silver buggers and brown soft hackles have moved the most fish for me. The warm, dry weather is expected to continue this week and I suspect we will start seeing more bugs in the air and more fish in the hand by the first week of June. 

Large waters demand caution

With the big Memorial Day weekend looming, I recently spent a good deal of time in my waders. Here is what I learned. The larger rivers have been dropping steadily and should continue to drop barring a major rain event (which is actually forecast for early this week). Smaller creeks continue to warm up and water temperatures are fairly consistent in the middle 40s throughout the region. I was able to entice a few brook trout into eating a silver bugger, but the cold water means streamers need to be crept along the bottom instead of being stripped quickly. The largest concern continues to be wading safely. The major rivers are just plain not safe to get into, and even the smaller creeks remain above normal meaning one mistake can put a person down. I almost got sucked into deep pools twice in the past three days. I have seen a handful of stoneflies in the air as well as a few caddis, but the fish don’t seem to be looking up yet. The best advice I can give right now is that if you venture out, wade safely.

High flows, low water temps remain

The past couple of weeks have brought some changes to the fishing outlook here in the western Upper Peninsula. Most of our snow has melted, although some patches still remain in the woods and along ditch lines. The resultant melt, however, has creeks and rivers still flowing heavily with most showing two to three times normal flow for this time of the year. Some have even approached the record levels set last year. (Somewhere in the picture above, there really is a channel.) Water temperatures also remain low, hovering at 40 degrees.  Lakes are still frozen with just the edges beginning to open up.

I have been able to make my way back to some smaller streams that are no longer treacherous to wade (just scary) and spent some time tossing streamers in search of fish.  These willow-lined stretches do not afford much casting room, meaning I have been roll-casting bead-head buggers, certainly not my favorite type of fishing. The trips back to these areas have been just as frightful as the wading and I have found myself driving through snowdrifts as paths make the transformation from snowmobile trails back to roads. Whether the result of good luck or good choices, I have yet to get stuck. The fish, to my chagrin, have shown little interest in my efforts.

What we really need are some warm, dry days to get things started. I have seen a handful of crane flies in the air this week, but other than that, midges remain the only insect out and about. Barring some type of warm up, it will be a bit before things really take off. That being said, we are setting up for another epic summer of fishing.

Opening day on its way

When I was a kid, opening day of fishing was a magical event. I’d spend weeks prepping my gear, picking night crawlers (I had yet to be enlightened) and then spend a last, sleepless night before heading out the door early. At first light I would jump on my bike and ride to the nearest stream for the chance to stand elbow-to-elbow with other anglers eager to catch hatchery fish that were released a few days earlier. Opening day no longer carries that allure, but there is still magic in the air as that special event draws near. So what should you expect?

After spending the past ten days fighting a water problem in my basement, I was able to get out Tuesday to check stream conditions in advance of Saturday’s opener. What I saw wasn’t pretty. Like last year, this April has been filled with heavy snows and colder than average conditions. There is still a significant snowpack to melt and the forecast from today through Saturday looks to add to it rather than melt it. Nearly every stream and every river I visited was a raging torrent, unfit for safe wading. Streams typically stained by clay are still turbid, although clarity has increased from a couple of weeks ago. There were a few small tributaries that an energetic angler could fish from shore, but water temperatures remain frigid, ranging from 34 degrees to 38 degrees.

The bottom line? You may be able to find fishable water, but what will be fishable will still be high and cold. Nymphs drifted through deep pools and dark-colored streamers pulled very slowly along the bottom will be your best bet to entice fish chilled by the ice-cold conditions. If you choose to brave the conditions, be very aware of the streams you fish and wear waders only to protect you from the snow you will have to go through. To put it bluntly, stay out of the water and off any remaining shelf ice.

Where will I be? In a concert hall enjoying my daughter’s recital and dreaming of warmer weather. It can’t stay cold forever.

The spring flush is on

One week ago, Mother Nature had just gotten started depositing what would total 16 inches of heavy, wet snow on my place in Trout Creek. Today is a whole different story. Today will feature temperatures in the 50s for the third consecutive day and, with more than two feet of snow still left on the ground, the results are predictable … rivers area wide are blown out.

As late as Monday, many rivers were still sporting a layer of ice. Now the ice has become ice flows and ice jams and the red clay soil which predominates here has helped turned the rivers into mud flows. Needless to say, there is no fishing to be had unless you want to venture out onto the still-frozen lakes and drill some holes. Exactly how long the run-off will last is anyone’s guess. Rain is forecast for the weekend followed by another stretch of cold, snowy conditions.

With opening day just two weeks away, we may be looking at a repeat of last year when those gathered at fishing camps caught more Zs than fish.  Those who are a bit more optimistic simply look at the current conditions as an indicator that better days are ahead.

A "long" way to go

There are some instances where the word “long” is a good adjective to place in front of a noun. A long vacation immediately comes to mind as does a long (healthy) life. All fly anglers appreciate a long, drag-free drift especially if it results in a grab from a willing fish. However, put the word long in front of the word winter and you may need to add other, socially unacceptable adjectives to endure it. That’s the kind of winter we have had. Fortunately this weekend offered a glimmer of hope that it may end and, as a result, I did a bit of scouting in preparation for warmer days.

I began my weekend with a stop at my fish camp where I managed to open up cabins and rake snow from roofs. Then it was off to the water. First off, let me say that a pair of snowshoes is mandatory. Wading through three feet of snow is not my idea of a good time and, even with snowshoes, the task gave me quite an aerobic workout. Streams are just beginning to open up in the western U.P. and it wasn’t easy to find fishable water. With water temperatures in the middle 30s, it was even harder to find active fish.

That being said, it appears we will have to wait a bit longer for the trout season to get into full swing. Like last year, the snow pack remains significant. That bodes well for the summer, but certainly will limit fishing opportunities until we see an extended period of above freezing temperatures both during the day and at night. I just hope we don’t have to wait a long (@#&$) time for that to happen.

Aching for spring

Every time it seems like this winter is going to offer some light at the end of the tunnel, it changes its mind and.

we are thrown back into the depths of darkness. Last weekend, I paid a visit to my fishing camp to rake some off roofs and to make sure all was well. It was a beautiful day followed by a few days of temperatures that reached normal and even surpassed average. Unfortunately, the sounds of snow melting and birds chirping were erased by another brutal storm and, to make matters worse, there is nothing but cold weather forecast for the coming week. With several building projects planned for spring and an arm aching to cast a fly rod, I can only hope that this current cold snap is the last of its kind for this winter. Certainly I enjoy winter and appreciate the moisture it is leaving, but one can only take so much snow. About the only ice I am interested in right now is the kind I put into a glass

On the road again and again

This winter has been a brutal one as evidenced by the fact that I have never had to run my water 24/7 just to keep it from freezing ... until this year. Nonetheless, I have kept busy traveling the area and doing presentations about fly fishing the U.P. It has been a real pleasure meeting anglers from throughout the Upper Midwest and it just doesn’t get much better than talking about fishing even if the weather keeps you from doing so. In case we haven’t crossed paths, I thought I would post my upcoming schedule.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, I will be in Madison at the Coliseum Bar speaking to the Southern Wisconsin Chapter of Trout Unlimited. On February 25^th, I will be in Minnesota addressing the Twin Cities Chapter of TU. March 15 finds me in Hayward at the Wild Rivers TU Expo and Auction. That is followed by an April 3^rd stop in Green Bay for a talk in front of the Green Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

If you have ever entertained the idea of fishing the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I encourage you to attend one of the events.