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Eastern Brook Trout … Red lake Kamloops BC
So after all the talk of potential winter kill, and all the glum early ice off reports, we decided to put in a few days at Red lake Kamloops to check out the situation for ourselves. Here’s a better late than never report …….
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John Kents Top Ten Chironomid Flies
Anybody who fishes chironomids as frequently and avidly as British Columbia’s Interior fly fishermen will have dozens of favorite and well used chironomid patterns. You wouldn’t consider that coming up with “just” ten favorites would be a daunting task, but for me, it is. While rummaging through my chironomid boxes, which literally consist of a couple thousand flies, I often come across a particular pattern that I can associate a lasting memory with, but in the end, these picks are the ones that have left the most lasting impressions and fondest memories. Forgive me if the following passages refer back to Tunkwa Lake time and time again, but having spent 9 years there, there is not another lake on this planet that I have fished more often or has left me with fonder memories of some absolutely amazing fishing using these types of flies.
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Wine & Gold Chironomid Pupa Fly
Things are gettin’ a little ansy up this way! The lakes in the North Eastern region of British Columbia are seven to ten days away from being ice-off and it’s really hard reading about all the open water lake choices down in the Southern interior!
This week though I saw my first Robin and the first hint of green is showing down in the Peace Valley. I’ve been hearing geese for a couple of weeks so we’re there….right there! In the mean time I’m going to re-visit an old Kamloops area staple from years ago that might help out in these early days of Chironomiding … it’s the Wine & Gold Chironomid Pupa fly and here is how I tie it …
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FGN’s Hot Spot Chironomid Pupa Fly
Well last weekend while the home office was no doubt sniffing out open water and wetting lines, we had a bit of a blizzard to deal with up this way. On the bright side, to get in shape for casting all day I shoveled the driveway …..again! 😯
This time of year one of the ways to take your mind off the obvious is to sit down in front of a vice. When your staring at a hook in the jaws of your vice you could be at home but you might be by a lake or stream side tying up “the fly” that will take care of business. I finished shoveling and that’s where I headed, to crank out some hot spot chironomid pupa flies!
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Sawmill (Burnell) Lake Rainbow - April 2012
Having the trip planed for April 6 for over a month now we were pretty disappointed to read in the ice of reports that sawmill was still frozen. We decided to go anyways since we didn’t have any other options to go fishing that would offer the potential for good size fish like sawmill does so we wanted to check it out.
When we arrived we were happy to see that there were 2 big patches of open water around the aerators that extended all the way to shore so it was possible to launch the boats … so we did! 🙂 Continue reading
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My son Timbre wanted to go ice fishing so we planned a day to go out on Williston. Most of the small lakes have slowed right down but the big lake seems to always produce. Weather report was sunny with cloudy periods, highs around 4C and light winds. In other words a perfect day to park out on the ice and relax!
With daybreak coming earlier now the only way to get to our spot before light would required getting up at 4:30 AM. Yea that wasn’t going to happen as the clan was over the night before for a bit of a birthday bash and the odd (possible even) drink was had by all. 😯
We did manage to get rolling out of the house around 7:00AM and were on the ice drilling holes at 9:20 AM. We went back to where I’d been a couple of weeks before as our mission was to bring back a rainbow dinner. I had told Timbre about how I couldn’t keep them off last time, so Continue reading
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JP’s Simple Peppered Garlic Venison Roast
So there I was, sitting in the garage with a bottle of vino when I thought … “gee, a venison roast would really hit the spot right about now”! Fortunately for me I just happened to have some tender vitals tucked a way in the freezer from last seasons hunting trip! 🙂 And not wanting to have to wait long to dig into it I knew exactly the recipe I was going to use. If you’re looking for a fast and easy, yet delicious and nutritious, home cooked meal that will make your mouth water then you really need to check this out!
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Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph Fly
The Pheasant Tail Nymph is one of the oldest of modern fly fishing patterns.
Originally designed as a general imitation to many of the thin nymphs that exist in rivers, streams and stillwaters worldwide, it’s success in representing nymphs of the Baetis family allowed it to quickly become world famous.
In this flyguys.net version of the PTN we have added a bead head and a flashback wing case to better represent the ready to emerge mayfly nymph … two modifications that we have noticed to greatly increase our success with the fly! The trout love the Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph Fly and therefore so do we! 🙂
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Ready to Ice Fish Williston Lake!
Well it was now time to do some ice fishing! I was out doing a little exploratory mission on Williston Lake a couple of weeks ago and there was over a foot of good clean ice. The lake, on the Peace Reach, had frozen around mid Jan. during the real cold snap. I could see the slabs of ice angling down toward lake level. To give you some idea of the volume of flow that the Peace River is running at in the winter consider this: Williston Lake is 680 square miles and with ice cover there is limited evaporation. In one week the lake drops 14-16 inches! That’s a lot of water folks.
I had a hockey game Friday night in Hudsons’ Hope and the plan was to stay over and go fishing in the morning. Continue reading
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Sight Fishing Stillwater Rainbow Trout
… another extraordinary article by Jason Majoskey (Mr. Rainbow), this one on the topic of sight fishing for trophy BC rainbow trout on the productive & pristine still water lakes of the beautiful British Columbia interior. A bit of a read but, as usual with Jason’s articles, well worth your time as it will definitely improve your fly fishing! Thanks Jason for allowing us to share this invaluable information on flyguys.net! 🙂
…read on to learn all about it!
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Gord’s Molting Dragonfly Nymph Fly Pattern
Many moons ago when I was out tubing in Steward lake I saw my first molting dragonfly nymph.
I was just kicking off from shore after a pit stop when my flippers washed up what at first I thought was plastic or foam. Not because it was floating but because of the vivid colour. I flipped it up onto my tube apron and was a little freaked to see it was a dragon nymph. At first I thought it was an albino nymph but actually it was a watery pale minty colour.
It was later that I learned about the instars when the nymphs shed their skins as they grow bigger. It’s at this time, when the nymph has rid itself of the old skin, that it’s a bright green, growing darker as the new body hardens. The reason you rarely see them like this is they know they scream dinner to any prey in the area so they lie low. With dragons living up to four years before becoming adults they have many instars and don’t ever think that the trout aren’t aware of this!
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... "come on already let's go fishing!"
Cold snap is over and just a bad dream now. I’ve been using this warm spell to melt away the bad memories and continue my unheralded run of fishing the Peace River in the winter. I thought I’d change my method of attack and try some drift fishing.
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Gord’s Fly Tying Tips & Tricks
For me it always seems that November and December are so busy that I never make it down to the my tying desk.
It’s usually about the end of January that my life gets a bit of a lull and I can get serious about filling the gaps in my fly boxes and tying up some new patterns! With that in mind, I thought I’d post up a few handy dandy practical DIY tying tips that you can try and see if they work to make things a bit easier as well as save you time & money!
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Major General ASB Chironomid Fly … by Christian Lodders
“… it has military colours but a little too much bling for a simple enlisted man so I call it … the Major General ASB chironomid pupa fly!
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The Golden Scud Back Shrimp Fly
Shrimp are present throughout the entire open water season therefor making them a very important food source for trout.
They are particularly useful in the early spring and late fall when forage for other insects is scarce as the main hatches have either yet to start or have already run their course. Their constant presence also makes them a great searching pattern!
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… the “krazy calabrese” corned venison sandwich!
This is one of my family’s all time favourite simple lunch meals! A quick and easy, yet healthy and nutritious, Italian style deli sandwich made with organic corned venison! This is one of those recipes where less is more … the fewer the ingredients the better … just enough to compliment the flavour of the already delicious corned venison! 😉
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… Use these free Solunar Tables to know the best fishing times of your favourite lakes & streams before leaving home! 😀
Continue reading
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Mamma Rosa’s Simply Delicious Fried Burbot Recipe
So the other day I received a question on our 2012 Fishing Reports page asking for some information on locations to fish for burbot in the BC Interior. Although we try to make a couple trips each year to hunt these fantastically delicious creatures, up until the point of the question the thought of fishing them this year hadn’t even crossed my mind … but now it was all I could think of!
Through out the rest of the day Mr. Stomach relentlessly sent messages to Mr. Brain and by mid afternoon Mr. Brain gave in and we were on our way to attempt to capture tomorrow nights supper! The good news is that we were successful in our quest. The even better news is that Mamma Rosa volunteered to cook it up for us as only she can! 🙂
For those of you that have experienced fresh cod cooked the right way you know what I mean. For those of you that haven’t you’re really in for a treat! So without further a do … here’s Mamma Rosa’s extremely simple yet delicious fried (freshwater ling cod) Burbot recipe!
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Well that was an awesome year but it’s time close off 2012 and move on to 2013! Thanks to everyone that contributed reports, stories & pictures last year and we’re really hoping to see even more of you on our … 2013 Fishing Reports post!
Tight lines & good times in 2013!
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… and just like 2011, away she goes!
Getting skunked on the last outing of the year was a little disappointing so the only way to change that was to make it the second last outing! With my partner in crime, Steve, in Edmonton watching the World Juniors (lucky bastard) it was going to be just the mutt in the jeep with me. The weather is still holding but colder temps and snow are forecasted for tomorrow. A couple of degrees below zero but with sun makes the river still doable even with the ever present wind. Continue reading
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Wind Storm on the Peace River!
It’s never windy underwater …. the fish are lucky! 😕
A couple of days before Xmas and the weather has been above seasonal for a while now so you really couldn’t call it a Chinook. Didn’t matter though cause anything above zero and we were going to try the river! Continue reading
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Another day, another Okanagan lake!
Hello guys and gals,
We (that’s me David and my buddy Chris) had a very steady and fun season fishing small lakes near and far from Kelowna. We truly enjoy the beautiful nature and quietness of those small remote lakes (of course big rainbows are always a plus! 🙂 ). Continue reading
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This summer, my friend and old school chum, Pat Harrison, came up for his annual fishing trip. On the first day, folks were catching fish on a large Chironomid and corky. Pat had always wanted to try fishing with a corky so that evening we stopped at Wholesale Sports and he bought some corkys and a couple of fly patterns similar to the ones we had been shown.
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Susan’s Italian Style Wild Game Osso Buco Recipe
Tis the season so we thought we’d post up a recipe for one of those cuts of meat that has received a bad rap over the years … the shank. Most hunters just grind them up for burger thinking that they are much too tough to cook any other way. Well … this Italian style Osso Buco recipe just might change your mind!
It’s a bit of a process but one that’s definitely worth the extended cooking time. Give it a try and let us know what you think … we’re guessing it will put your grinder out of business! 😉 Continue reading
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OK I'm ready ... let's go fishing!
Saturday morning the alarm goes off and the wife gets up and starts to get ready for work. I on the other hand burrow deep under the comforter and listen to the wind rattle the bedroom windows as it has all night. I really should take the dog, get him out and go fishing. I crack one eye open,still dark. I flick the Tv on and check the weather channel. 1C calling for highs of 5C winds 40km gusting to 70 km. I see the wind chill is -5C and burrow deeper under the comforter. A half hour goes by but I can’t sleep I’m feeling guilty about not taking the dog for a romp. It’s been a month since I had him someplace where I can cut him loose. That’s the thing about pups/young dogs you have to pick your spots to bring them along. That especially goes for a Giant Alaskan Malamute. He’s a rambling wreck from Georgia Tech that, though harmless, still will jump or knock over anything or anyone. Put him in a boat? Not yet! I lean up and l looked out the window, no snow well that’s a start. I lean back and start thinking… you know in January, a day like today, would feel like a day on a Caribbean beach.That’s it I’m up, jeep loaded and rolling in 20 minutes. Continue reading
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Fly Selection & Presentation | Fly Fishing Rainbow Trout
Most of us have a really broad selection of flies in our fly boxes. In fact, some of us could use ten different flies every day of the year without using the same fly twice. So just how important is it that we get just the right fly for a given lake on a given day? … read on & find out now!
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Fall Fly Fishing in Northern BC!
Fall in the North, in a good year, is Labour Day to Halloween. Mess around too much and you miss it altogether! With that in mind Steve and I headed out to Base Camp after work on Thursday excited about a shot at hungry fall trout!
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Fly Fishing Peace River Rainbow & Bull Trout
It was late Wednesday evening when the wife leaned in and whispered those seven magical words ….. “I’ve got a hankering for some rainbow!” Well that snapped me out of my semi-comatose state! There’s nothing like a pre-ordained, spousal approved fishing trip! 😀
Usually when I want a feed of rainbow I go to one of three places … Continue reading
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… Candy Smoked Salmon recipe graciously contributed by Matt S (AKA IronNoggin)
Candy Smoked Salmon …courtesy Iron Noggin!
You’re in for a real treat folks! This candy smoked salmon is a very sweet tasting and eye appealing product that’s guaranteed to make you very popular with all your friends! Here’s the goods ……. Continue reading
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2011 Fall Fishing - Pete Lake - Northern BC
Mid September and it was time to try Pete Lake, figuring the algae bloom would have died down. The day before Steve and I went was 30C and that’s about as hot as it gets in these parts. Strange summer/fall!
We were able to find a new quad trail to the lake and were able to avoid the 1/2 km slog through swamp with all our float tube gear. That and the fact the wind wasn’t howling pretty much made the day right off the bat! Continue reading
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Salmon is the common name for several species of fish of the family Salmonidae. Other fish in the family are called trout. Salmon migrate while trout are resident. Salmon live in the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans. Of primary concern to BC flyguys is the Pacific salmon & the focus of this article will be to provide Pacific Salmon Identification information.
… read on for Pacific Salmon ID Chart & How To Fishing Methods!
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Fall Fly Fishing Strategies … by Ron Newman
By the time you read this, it will be mid-September and we will be into the Fall fly fishing season. At this time of year, the water is beginning to cool, the major hatches are over, the bugs are mostly small in size and the food selection for the fish is limited.
Oxygen levels are high but the days are getting shorter, the sun angle is down and the aquatic plants will soon start to die. Continue reading
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A Fly Fished Fraser River Pink (humpy) Salmon
If you’re interested in targeting river run pacific salmon on the fly then you better get to know the humpy! Fly fishing pink salmon on the Fraser river, or any river for that matter, is a great day to spend a day on the water! Check out the how to below …….
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Looking to beat the summer doldrum ... get high!
Mid August and off the wife and I went on our annual Soak up the Sun Summer tour. As usual we headed for Kamloops and Vernon. They were calling for temperatures in the 30’s C and Continue reading
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Bar Fishing Chinook Salmon on the Mighty Fraser River
If you’re talking Bar Fishing then you’re talking Chinook salmon fishing. Chinook (AKA Spring, King or Tyee) salmon are the biggest of the five pacific salmon and these fish can get huge. They are the first salmon to enter the Fraser River and its tributaries and it’s therefore not uncommon to see people out fishing for them as early as May, or as early as they are legally open to fish. Chinooks put up one hell of a fight, especially in the current of the mighty Fraser river, and are one of the most exciting species that we have ever fished. Continue reading
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In the midst of last year’s Rocky Mountain Grand Slam, Steve and I were already planning this year’s trip. We both thought we’d come a couple of weeks early around the middle of July. Even though this year has been like an India monsoon season, Steve had been working up the Highway a week before we left and said they didn’t get hardly any of the deluge Fort St. John got. So there we were loading the jeep Thursday morning in a steady drizzle.
Loading up the Jeep in the rain ...
We got about 80 miles up the Alaska Hyw. and the sun was shining. Smiles all around. Continue reading
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Fly Line Selection Trolling Flies … by Ron Newman
……. another informative fly fishing article by Ron Newman. This one on strategies for fly line selection trolling flies!
The most basic of fly fishing techniques is to drag a fly (trolling flies) behind your watercraft. The hard-nosed purest will say that this is trolling rather than fly fishing. Well, yes, it is trolling. But it is also fly fishing without participating in the casting portion of the sport.
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Timbre & his beauty silver bullet Kamloops rainbow trout!
It was a quick jaunt to Kamloops for the wife’s school reunion. Just before leaving my son Timbre’s schedule came free so I packed for some tubing. I made sure the bag had two float tubes, two waders, two sets of flippers but evidently I didn’t see the need for raingear. Thinking back this is strange since we just got 362 mm of rain in the last 8 weeks in the North Peace. For you oldschoolers like me that’s 14 inches! 😯 I’m waiting for Cedar to start growing!
Long drive down with many delays south of Chetwyn where I counted 12 washouts off the Highway. Finally got to the in-laws in Kamloops Thursday and with Friday being Grads only night I got a hold of Rob for some input on a couple of lakes I had zeroed in on. We were thrilled to hear that Rob was available to come fishing with us and he suggested we meet at his place Friday morning. Continue reading
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Susan’s Golden Baked Halibut Recipe
What can we say about Halibut … it’s simply delicious any way you cut it! And this Golden Baked Halibut recipe by Susan makes it even better! So if you’re looking for an easy yet incredibly tasty way to prepare your halibut look no further! Continue reading
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Fly Fishing Beyond Seasonal Peaks .. by Ron Newman
By mid-July, the quantity and frequency of our “hatches” will be past their seasonal peaks. Those bugs that come to the lake surface to turn into adults (Chironomid, Mayfly, Caddis, Dragonfly and Damselfly) will all be hatching in numbers below the annual average for the rest of the year.
That doesn’t mean that it is time to put away your fly rod. Continue reading
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Floating Dragonfly Nymph Fly Pattern
Tis the season for the big Dragonfly nymphs to start their migration to the shorelines to emerge so … we thought it an appropriate time to share a deadly floating dragonfly nymph fly pattern that you can use to help imitate this big meal tickets trek in hopes of fooling a few lunker rainbows along the way! Continue reading
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The "Arizona Mini Hopper"
July 1 stream fishing time. Still working (27 shifts down 11 to go) Can’t fish but I can still tie. I’m preparing for a twist-off trip up the Alaska Hyw. and into the East Slope Rockies. Been tying some big Double Bunnies and Mice patterns for the Bull Trout and lots of Copper Johns in greens and black for Whitefish, rainbows and Grayling. Now it’s time for some dry’s. Was going to go with my normal Elk Hair Caddis in various colours and sizes and some foam beetles. That was until I came across a hybrid of both and after tying some I’m convinced it will be my go to dry fly. Continue reading
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A gorgeous blackwater strain rainbow trout!
So after having a great year so far on Pennasks, and hammering some huge Fraser Valley’s & Brook Trout as well, we thought we’d spend a day targeting some Blackwater strain Kamloops Rainbow trout. We hit the stocking charts and did our homework and finally narrowed it down to a lake that we though had some real potential …. and boy did we hit the jack pot! What a day! Continue reading
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Mikulak Sedge | Traveler Sedge Fly
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Someone says caddis to me and I think of the various sizes and colours of the ones that come off in the Peace, Pine and Halfway rivers.
But that’s only for a second or two as the hard wiring in my brain kicks in, my eyes glaze over, and visions of Traveler Sedges flash on the inside of my eye lids. Yes Traveler Sedge, the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the Caddis family. If you have ever been fortunate to be on a lake when these big boys are coming off you won’t soon forget it!
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" I'm only interested in fillets! "
Like most things in life, there are many different ways to skin a cat (or in this case to fillet a fish) and for the most part the method chosen is simply due to personal preference. The following is one of our favourite methods … a simple but comprehensive step by step approach to filleting fish!
……. read on to learn how we do it!
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The lake:
Another Little Gem of a Kamloops Area Trout Lake!
This little beauty resides at approx. 4100 ft. about an hour out of Kamloops BC. It is stocked with Pennask AF3N’s and is rumored to currently hold bows to 10 lbs!!! Given that, along with the fact that the stocking charts confirm the possibility AND our assumption that the timing should be right for the chironomids to be pouring off …… we went fishing! 😀
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Susan’s Orange Brandy Moose Kabobs
There’s no words for this one … you simply have to taste it to believe it! Continue reading
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… Our 3 day weekend hunt for Fraser Valley Rainbows & Eastern Brook Trout!
What A Weekend!
WOW! What a weekend! When we decided to focus on fatso Fraser Valley Bows & Eastern Brook Trout this weekend we never thought we would end up with some of the monsters that we did! Kudos to our BC stocking program!
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