Colorado Fly Fishing Reports

Tip of the Week

2012-02-11T06:37:00.002-07:00

If your glasses are back at the truck and some stranger approaches on the river and grunts obscenities at you...think long and hard before engaging the fellow in a fist fight.

Sunday Morning Movies

2012-02-05T06:36:00.001-07:00

Tip of the Week

2012-02-04T18:33:00.001-07:00

A knowledgeable angler will be sure his trout is balanced properly before heading to the river.

Shit Fishermen Say

2012-02-01T10:47:00.002-07:00

Shit Fly Fishermen Say

2012-01-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Tip of the Week

2012-01-28T06:29:00.002-07:00

Try to maintain when you catch a nice crappie...try to maintain.

Tip of the Week

2012-01-21T06:27:00.001-07:00

Never leave the river if the fish are biting...

Tip of the Week

2012-01-14T10:07:00.008-07:00

Never eat your own fly

Favorite Fly Shop Questions of 2011

2012-01-13T07:43:00.002-07:00

Yes...I am still collecting them!

#5 "Do you guys sell any grasshopper emerger flies?"

#4 "Why do you guys sell a snowshoe rabbits foot...for good luck?"

#3 "I'm fixing my septic system. Do you guys rent waders?"

#2 "This yellow humpy fly...is it a caddis with its wings up ready to take off?"

#1 "Do you think he smells my kitty cat?" --said by very large, sweaty woman failing to fend off an English Setter in...let's say, a very aggressive point!

Best of: 2010
Best of: 2009

Tip of the week

2012-01-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

The difference between a good ending to a night of hillbilly bobsledding...and a bad one is, as it turns out, exactly two and a half feet.

Tip of the Week

2011-12-31T06:47:00.003-07:00

Later tonight you may suddenly realize ‘tis mortal men who need fire pokers. STOP…you have had too much rum. Okay…if you insist. Use your non-casting hand, at least…

USING DENIER TO STANDARDIZE FLY TYING THREAD

2011-12-27T06:29:00.002-07:00

By. Christopher Helm

In the late 1930's, the Chenille Company created the "aught"( 3/0,6/0, 8/0, etc.) system to indicate the size of thread. This was based on a system where the number or "aught" was the base point and as the thread became smaller additional zeros were added indicating that the thread was finer. As an example, a thread with six zeros ( 000000) translated to a 6/0 thread. As other thread distributors were born after the early 1960's, they followed the same system which was assigning a standard that does not provide as accurate a measurement for the fly tier as denier. In 1988, Tom Schmucker of WAPSI Fly, Inc. in Mountain Home, Arkansas introduced a nylon thread simply called 70 UTC and 140 UTC based on denier, which is the method of measuring thread. This is the system that the garment industry uses for thread to sew clothing. Denier is defined as the weight in grams of 9000 meters of nylon, polyester, rayon thread, etc. There is a correlation between denier and breaking strength of nylon and polyester thread, the smaller the denier number the lower pound/ounce breaking strength of the thread. At the present time, about the smallest denier nylon or polyester for fly tying thread is 40, which would be used for tying midges. The one exception to this denier vs. breaking strength rule is that gel spun polyethylene thread is two to three times stronger that nylon or polyester of the same denier. This transition to a denier rating system will take several years to be completed. Danville and Gudebrod are committed to making changes as they order new labels. UNI-Products has already begun the transition.

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-12-25T06:48:00.001-07:00

Silver and Gold from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Tip of the Week

2011-12-24T06:30:00.002-07:00

Staging a horrific fall and faking one’s own death on a fishing trip, you know, as a lighthearted holiday prank…is apparently frowned upon in most camps.

Sculpin Helmet

2011-12-22T06:32:00.002-07:00

As a fly tier and serious streamer fisherman I was very interested in the weighted Fish Skulls that hit the scene a couple years ago. I received my sample pack at the fly shop and tied two big baitfish streamers and crammed the weighted scull onto the front. They both looked great. I really liked the fact that I could wrap some schlappen or rabbit strip tight behind the hook eye and then mount the head from the front, pushing all the material back once the fly was finished. But there was only so much room for innovation. Besides, I have been really into articulated streamers weighted so they ride hook point up…and just couldn’t do that easily with the original Fish Sculls. Now the company has pushed the envelope a bit more with the Sculpin Helmets. These are about the same design, only they lay flat—like the head of a sculpin (think flat head catfish.) Plus they are making an Articulated Shank you can use to easily create a long, jointed streamer. Now, this I am into! When I received this sample pack at the fly shop I quickly cranked out two more with the material provided. I used a #10 TMC 8089 hook because they are big, but light weight—thus easier to counterbalance with weight to force point up. The rest of the fly I made as simply as possible; dubbing underbody, rabbit strips over the back and a couple rubber legs. My analysis? The fly tying world is full of gadgets that come and go…but, these are pretty cool.

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-12-18T06:11:00.001-07:00

Tip of the Week

2011-12-17T06:46:00.001-07:00

Zap-A-Gap is great for fly tying…but even better for cuts and blisters.

Was It Worth It?

2011-12-14T06:28:00.001-07:00

I have always been a slow learner. Ask any of my grade-school teachers. Or my first platoon sergeant. But I get by…just takes a few attempts to get it right. Late season canyon fishing, among other things falls right in line. It always takes me over a month to grasp the reality that “the best time to be there is mid-day” means THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY! The tall rock walls make that mid-day window of winter sunshine very narrow. It took me over an hour to trudge down to a remote stretch of river the other day…an area I knew I would not have to share. I only intended to spend two or three hours down there in the canyon, and I knew to hit it mid-day. But I pissed around at the house too long, miscalculated the drive time in the snow…and ended up on the water by 2:00 PM. Too late. Nothing but shadow. And cold. And no bugs around. I caught three very small brown trout on small midge pupa sunk to the bottom of pools with split shot. After an hour I could not feel any part of my hands. Then I trudged back up through the snow pack. It took twice as long going up hill. I arrived back at the truck well after dark and my back was killing me. For three 7 inch trout. Was it worth it? I leaned back, stretched my aching back, fumbled for my truck keys in the dark… Nope. Not worth it.

But I’ll do it again tomorrow.

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-12-11T06:34:00.002-07:00

Tip of the Week

2011-12-10T06:42:00.001-07:00

Pimp your favorite local fly shop.

Winter Fishing With Justin

2011-12-08T07:42:00.001-07:00

Written and contributed by Justin Schlosser

Colorado around this time of year. It’s truly a Winter Wonderland- right up until you’re freezing your ass off in ice cold water and there’s no fish in sight. So is Winter Fishing In Colorado really worth it? Hell yes. A much better question to ask is “What are the ways I can keep all ten toes... and maybe even catch some fish?”. So let’s take a look at a few things that can make or break a winter fishing trip.

1. Gear: Picking the right gear is a must. Arms, legs, and so on can be covered by the classic long underwear/fleece combo, plus whatever jacket you like. If it’s snowing, don’t forget to put your jacket over your waders! Feet can have a thick pair of socks, a couple pairs of socks, and maybe even some foot warmers if it’s really cold. Now hands, those are the tricky part. Gloves have to be super flexible in order to handle the casting, and unless you want to be taking them off every five minutes, they have to be fingerless. Hand warmers prevent your hands from moving enough too. If you find a good way to keep your hands warm, please tell me.

2. Picking the Right River: If you go fish in the Winter, you want to make it worth the work. Go to a place where maybe you’ll catch a big fish, because working all day for a fish the size of your thumb will make you question your sanity. Unless you’re me of course. I already know I’m insane. Places like the Taylor and Frying Pan come up a lot because of their potential for monsters, and Winter is the only time of year you won’t be combat fishing on them. Pick your rivers wisely.

3. Flies: One of the differences of fishing in the Winter is that the big fish sitting on the other bank most likely isn’t waiting for a size two hopper. Midges are key, and the smaller the better (If you ask me, and only to a reasonable point. No size 60 hooks please). Do I fish size 32’s? No. Do I have friends that do, and catch fish on them? Yes. The smallest flies I throw will usually hang right around the magic number 24. Ever heard of the 20-20 club? Getting in is a matter of catching a 20 inch fish on a size 20 hook. Go out and put yourself in the club this Winter!

Sage One Rod Review

2011-12-06T17:43:00.001-07:00

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-12-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

wrong turns from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Tip of the Week

2011-12-03T08:00:00.002-07:00

Firewood keeps you warm. Twice.

Life and Fly (One Bug Is Fake)

2011-11-28T06:05:00.002-07:00

Written and contributed by Brandon Robinson

Fly fishing sometimes is located between a therapist’s office, and the Catholic “Sacrament of Penance”. The angler plays the role of both therapist and patient or, sinner and priest. Ex-girlfriend is dating again, and you found out about it? 2 hours on the water equates 20mgs of Prozac, 40 double-hauls replace 40 Hail-Marys. However, when your problems fade away, fly fishing adapts as well, returning to pure enjoyment. In the meantime, the 4 weight is there; along with weight forward floating line, #12 Caddis, and some pocket water, ready to work through your troubles with you. The rhythm of the cast becomes a melodic chant; the sound of the line pulling through the guides preparing the mind for meditation. Similar to Prozac or the rote of Confession, it doesn’t solve your problems for you; it’s only a starting point. The rest is up to you. I don’t know how to proceed but, I do know where I am hurts.

The sky never criticizes, and the water will never judge. The wind is too busy traveling to share your secrets with anyone and the fish are fearfully preoccupied with what the giant will decide of their fates, to care about your problems. I think it is better that way. I always felt that if the choices you made put you on a path of destruction or pain, and you followed through knowing the outcome, you lost the right to have any pity-parties. That is the time for you to work through your problems on your own time. Instead of complaining to whoever will listen, I will yell into the wind. No good can come from explaining pain to the person who hurt me, instead I will whisper to myself; all the while fishing through decisions and turmoil.

Sometimes the therapist is passive, forcing one to work through issues with no fish-tractions. This of course only frustrates the angler more, yet in time the issue fades and the dedicated angler overcomes the slump. They work it out by observing the issues at play: what possibly caused the fish to refuse the chosen flies, or which tactic to use to overcome weather conditions. In that, the priest shows the sinner a metaphor for life. Change out what isn’t working and push through. Pay attention to your gut. I personally believe that your mind registers observations that you don’t. That is where your gut feeling comes from, listen to it. I know what is coming; I will become an awkward footnote. Shane rode away when he saw his time was finished.

I learned this by chance. No one warned me of the therapeutic powers one unlocked when divining fish to hand, yet they were there. After the first cast, 4 years of post-service issues immediately began losing the battlefield advantage. Suddenly I had the ringmaster’s chair and whip to fight the beast off with. Life started improving, more current issues began to loosen their grip, and I started living. The ex and I learned together, and suddenly we felt even closer than ever before. Just over two years later, the curtain was pulled back, revealing the end of a relationship that never was. Immediately I was catatonic, only the primary functions survived. Work was my only escape, but it was an exhausting distraction. I tried to fish, and found instead bitter heartsickness. Everywhere there was a sign of us. We had a great day here; she caught her first over there… Suddenly my therapist had her picture hanging above the couch.

I stubbornly kept trying, looking and searching for the key. Slowly a “medicine road” showed up like the faintest of trails in the sparse brush of a desert. I had to make it [fly fishing] my own again. I had to take it with me down the road and open up new experiences. I needed friends and a world she didn’t exist in. I turned to the internet, and eventually found Twitter. I made a simple list I would accomplish. I started to enjoy my time off. By following the list, I was becoming whole again.

1. Fish more.

2. Fish longer.

3. Fish different.

I met new people; the first of many was Shawn and Ena Bischel. I entered tournaments as the fly fishing “David” going up against spin tackle “Goliaths”. I made a connection with an awesome company called Diablo Paddle Sports. I went out and fished so hard and so often that people quit asking, “How are you feeling/handling/doing?”, and replaced it with a disinterested and near-rhetorical, “How’s the fishing?” Meanwhile, I pushed further forward; allowing for new experiences to be had and healing to continue. Eventually a disjointed group of webmasters convinced me to develop my Twitter account into something bigger. One accidental posting, a couple of repeat queries into the status of a website, and a request to write laid the ground work for a new direction, destination unknown. There was plenty of fishing involved, and it was forward progression, so I stuck with it. I’ll let you know where it ends when I get there and find out.

The beautiful thing is the fishing experience slowly turned off depressing, drove straight through healing, and turned back on fun. No longer did I think of her, like I used to. Even if she was there, I wasn’t fishing with her; she was fishing with me. It wasn’t the same, and I was glad for both the change and the company. Then the inevitable happened. I smelled the smoke long before I knew what was burning. Suddenly, I was being replaced. Sub-consciously it seemed, but replaced none-the-less. Slowly I understood (and eventually I saw) that even though the fishing was different, few things had changed for the two of us. I knew I was headed for a repeat heartache. I was stubbornly immobile, determined to sink the unsinkable rather than change course. She is a great person, we get along fine, and it’s easy. It wasn’t until I thought I had run aground that I snapped out of it. The jolt still hurt, and I knew the real moment (where I’m transformed from needed friend to awkward explanation) would set me back further. I had to get back to my Medicine Road, swiftly before the pain multiplied.

So here I am, back in the confessional. I bought a pipe (it’s new), I still follow my list, and I am determined to write more. I remain her friend, but I am trying to move her out of the “default friend” spot. It’s depressing, but after a year and a half it’s beyond necessary. I decided that 120 spent on strippers, was more desperate than spending the same on 3 months of eHarmony, which is a start at least. Finally, I am looking to relocate, somewhere I have never lived before like Colorado, Arkansas, or Washington… When you see me out there in the universe, be it at the Church of the Flowing Waters or the various social networks, and something strikes you as out of focus, remember that this picture is still developing. Keep checking back, I’m just grateful you took the time to look.

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-11-27T06:28:00.004-07:00

Tip of the Week

2011-11-26T08:54:00.001-07:00

Go buy a frozen turkey today. No...seriously. This photo may have you wanting to hurl because you have eaten so much bird in the last few days...but you can get an 18 pounder for dirt cheap this weekend. And you know, come February you will be, like, "Dude! Wanna cook an 18 pound turkey!?"

$17, One Hour and 15 Minutes

2011-11-25T06:54:00.001-07:00

That is about what it takes to set yourself up for success this winter--roughly a 20 dollar bill and a couple of hours some Sunday afternoon when your team is getting blown out on the television by division rivals. This season has enough unpleasantness...favorite lakes are frozen over, it is already dark when work lets out and everyone in the country gets to witness how bad my Cleavland Browns are... But you don't have to add to all that a fly tying debt spiral. Choose the one fly pattern you know you will be pulling out of your box the most and take an hour or two to save yourself a good deal of cash. Pick the pattern that you use the most and that is the easiest and fastest to tie, and that takes the least amount of materials. This should be easy, because the best winter flies are tiny and simple. You can choose the RS2, Poison Tung or Zebra Midge. Here is the ingredient list for the $17 (for fifty!) Zebra Midge:

Umpqua Feather Merchants U201 #20
Two 25 packs of Spirit River Brite Beads 2mm (5/64") Black Nickel (or Silver)
Small Silver UTC Ultra Wire
6/0 Black UNI-Thread

There, $100 worth of flies...

Friends Follies

2011-11-23T06:29:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine recently moved out to the west coast...and is getting into steelhead. He also just started a new website. It will show his trials and tribulations of catching a steelhead in the traditional manner. Let me know what you think: Steelheading, The Hard Way

Funnies...

2011-11-21T08:39:00.001-07:00

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-11-20T06:13:00.006-07:00

Tip of the Week

2011-11-19T06:30:00.008-07:00

On those cold and windy Winter days...be careful opening your favorite dry fly box.

Randy's 33" Brown Trout (The Video Evidence)

2011-11-18T06:31:00.007-07:00

Hungry Fish!

2011-11-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

As cooler weather and colder water set in to stay, most local fly fishers make the seasonal switch to nothing but tiny flies. This is logical...the bugs that are out and getting eaten are all midges and the smaller of the Blue Wing Olive mayflies. I will often still use some bigger stuff, especially when searching a creek I haven't been on for awhile. I like to use a bigger, bushier hair wing dry (such as a Stimulator or Clown Shoe) with a midge pupa imitation (#20 Zebra Midge or Poison Tung) hanging off the hook bend about 12 to 18 inches. Most of the trout willingly take the subsurface midge, but every now and again one of the big boys (relative term, of course) will inhale the dry!

I like this type of fishing because the big dry is always easy to spot on the water and is always nicer to cast than a strike indicator.

The Backcountry Journal

2011-11-16T06:45:00.001-07:00

The Backcountry Journal is a new online periodical created and edited by hunter, fly fisherman, fly designer, and writer, Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings.

Read it here! The Backcountry Journal.

Fly Tying (With Common Household Materials)

2011-11-15T06:37:00.001-07:00

"Jay Fullum is one of Fly Tyer magazine's most beloved authors. His regular column, titled "Creative Tying," is a favorite with our readers."--David Klausmeyer, Editor Fly Tyer

Seriously...this is a great addition to your fly tying book library. It will stand out amongst the more conventional tying how-tos. Jay Fullum goes into detail about some real cool (and cheap!) everyday materials you probably already have laying around down in the basement...you know, "organized" loosely on that unfinished wooden Home Depot shelving you got right after you moved in. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Jay has chapters on plastic bags, foam packing material, weatherseal, embroidery floss, fake fingernails, paintbrushes and hair brushes. Lots of stuff. I love it. But, the thing I may love the most about this book is what this book can do emotionally to a beginning tyer. It erases this notion that a good fly has to be made with very specific ingredients. These are not tiny magic spells we are creating on a hook shank...they are tools of the sport of fishing. That is all. And you can use whatever works for you at the time. So, yeah...order a copy.

Lyons Press $21.95 Click Here!

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-11-13T06:02:00.003-07:00

To fortapte menn -Fri flyt from Salmo Trutta Production on Vimeo.

Tip of the week

2011-11-12T07:02:00.009-07:00

Train Wins. Always.

"Enjoy Your Veterans" Day

2011-11-11T06:05:00.011-07:00

Today is the day we celebrate all those 19-year-old borderline alcoholics with automatic weapons. Enjoy them. Don't thank them...they don't take praise or the spotlight well. But definitely appreciate them. Buy them a beer at the bar. Or take one out back behind the bar and let them get to second base. Hell, hire one! Trust me, they will work harder and longer for you than some trust-fund baby looking for direction...

Keep it real, boys!

Be veddy, veddy sneaky...

2011-11-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

When the creek and river flows get skinny the trout get spooky. They know they can be easily seen by predators (herons, raccoons...and fishermen). The upside is that the fish are still hungry and don't have quite as much food available as they did in the summer. This makes them relatively easy to catch so long as you are sneaky!
Wear drab clothing, be aware of your shadow and take advantage of whatever natural or man made concealment is available.

Free Fly Tying Classes! (At RMA)

2011-11-08T06:38:00.009-07:00

At Rocky Mountain Anglers we are approaching our fly tying classes a bit differently this Winter. We will be offering ONLY one-on-one classes and I will be very open to scheduling. The problems I have always found with the way Intro-Fly Tying has been taught is twofold. First: These classes have usually been group events (3 to 5 students) mainly to maximise the profits for the shop offering the class, not necessarily with the benefit of the beginning tier in mind. Second: We all are busy these days, so it is hard to make extracurricular things happen on the calendar. My intent is to get someone trained and as fluent as possible on the tying vise without delay. Hence the one-on-one classes with open scheduling...If next Tuesday morning before work is your only opening, then let's do it!

Fly Tying Classes are $25 an hour (We do gift cards!) but we are offering free classes with purchase of certain essential tying equipment....such as this Peak Rotary Vise (made here in Loveland, CO!) that sells for $149. RMA will honor two free one-hour tying sessions. With the perchase of a Dr. Slick 7-piece tool kit ($54) you get one free class.

Call Rocky Mountain Anglers in Boulder: (303) 447-2400

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-11-06T06:57:00.005-07:00

Tip of the Week

2011-11-05T06:42:00.011-06:00

When sight casting to tailing fish...don't waist too much time on the ones that have not moved in awhile.

Best Goal Celebration Ever

2011-11-03T16:18:00.000-06:00

Krystowski Minnow (Step by Step Tying Instructions)

2011-11-02T06:35:00.003-06:00

The Krystowski Minnow is one of my early original fly designs. I began tying this fly long before I was part of the fly fishing industry and a contract fly designer. It was at a point in my life when I had very limited time to spend behind a vise and, more influentially, when I had very little money to spend on tying material. I needed an all-purpose baitfish streamer that I could use for every occasion. I could not afford to have multiple fly boxes for every species of fish, but I was fishing everywhere and often. I needed a fly for river smallmouth, farm pond largemouth, Spring steelhead, Fall browns, wiper, walleye and northern pike. If I had a handful of Krystowski Minnows in my box I was all set. The fly needed to be cheap to tie, fast to tie and never fall apart...even after being chewed on by northern pike. I have old fishing buddies back in my home town who fish this fly over everything else. The fly is named after a family in northern Ohio who owned a small bass pond and would let me fish and invite me in for dinner. The earliest prototypes of this fly were fished in their pond.

Step 1: Begin with Gamakatsu B10S #2 hook. Create a ¼ inch thread base of black 6/0 UNI-Thread behind the hook eye.

Step 2: Tie in a clump of white Icelandic Sheep to “bottom” of hook shank.

Step 3: Tie in a clump of chartreuse Icelandic Sheep on “top” side of hook shank.

Step 4: Securely mount ex-small white painted lead dumbbell eyes to “bottom” of hook shank. It is important that you wait until this point to tie in the lead eyes. Because the eyes are ex-small (this fly fishes best as a light-weight streamer) it is crucial there be distance between the arbor of the lead eyes and the hook shank. This ensures the fly swims hook point up.

Step 5: Tie in a clump of black Icelandic Sheep on top. Be sure to leave several inches of the black sheep hair extending out past the hook eye.

Step 6: Take the black sheep hair clump that you left extending past the hook eye and part it evenly. Be sure to leave the thread at the rear of the fly head.

Step 7: Wrap each piece of the black sheep hair back separately (being sure to cross between the lead eyes) and tie off and trim.

Step 8: Wrap black tying thread thoroughly over entire head of fly, being sure to secure any loose sheep hair and give the entire head an overall tightening. Then whip finish twice for durability and trim thread.

Step 9: Cut fly down to 2 ½ inches long (trim up the end nice and tapered). Then apply multiple coats of head cement over entire head, to include the painted lead eyes. I prefer at least five coats of Hard-as-Hull.

Fall Colors (Good Grief It's November Already)

2011-11-01T06:34:00.010-06:00

Throughout most of the year I recommend using a white colored strike indicator when nymphing deep runs and pools (if, of course, bobbers are your bag). The idea is for the indicator to blend in with the foam and not spook fish. This strategy works so long as you can still identify what is your indicator!
This time of year there can be a lot of light brown and bright yellow leaves drifting down stream and congregating in back eddys. If you have a tendency to use white or yellow strike indicators...you could be in for a long and frustrating day. Be sure to have some really gaudy bobbers. They may be the only thing to stand out on the water.

Punching Samantha

2011-10-31T06:36:00.006-06:00

Sometimes, when I am frustrated and am having a bad day, I will punch Samantha right in the eye. Not technically, but in some un-written guy code she belongs to a good friend of mine…but he is usually off running a Mexican roofing crew up in Cheyenne or somewhere. He leaves her alone and unattended. So, I slip in on a week day and look for her out back behind all the apartment buildings…minding her own business somewhere along the bike path. I already have my carp rod strung up and riding in the bed of my pickup truck—so I jump out and sneak up without her knowing. She is small. Petite, I like to think. And the carp that live in her water are numerous, but small in frame as well. But I am there because I have been shot down at other, larger and more challenging lakes. I am at Samantha’s Pond to somehow make myself feel better about myself in some weird, dirty-trailer court-domestic violence sort of way. So I sneak in while my buddy Patrick is away at work and I punch her in the eye! Then I cackle and punch her in the eye again! The small carp there are so gullible and they will eat a fly almost every time. It just ain’t fair. So I catch a few, reel in and do my best to apologize. It’s been a long day. You know I don’t mean it. Really…I love you. Now go wash up and put some ice on that eye…

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-10-30T06:16:00.008-06:00

exploration to culmination from My Leaky Waders on Vimeo.

Tip of the Week

2011-10-29T06:49:00.006-06:00

When you are fly fishing...watch out for loose rocks!

Koke Head

2011-10-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

Kokanee are a land locked version of the sockeye salmon. They are stocked in many Colorado reservoirs (including Elevenmile, Gross, Blue Mesa, Green Mt. and Dillon). The Kokes make an unsuccessful spawning attempt up inlet rivers this time of year. They move up the creeks and rivers in very obvious waves...hence the term "salmon run". Bright pink streamers, San Juan worms and egg patterns are the most commonly used.

Pimp Your Lanyard

2011-10-27T06:47:00.003-06:00

Many fly fishermen have taken to wearing lanyards these days. They are a convenient way to carry the bare essentials for a quick trip to the local creek (some keep one permanently behind their car seat) or as an added convenience to be worn with a satchel/waist pack. I also like to wear one when the weather turns cold. I can adjust it to be worn over as many layers of clothing I happen to need that day. But, like all things fly fishing...you can take a simple thing and over-complicate the piss out of it! I have recently taken two old, broken lanyards of mine and Frankensteined them into one Ultimate Lanyard!

1. Nippers
2. Fly Floatant
3. Foam Fly Box (light weight & color coded)
4. Forceps
5. Heavy Leader-Building Material
6. Finer Tippet Material
7. Wetting Agent (fly sink)
8. Split Shot
9. Foam Fly Box (light weight & color coded)
10. Braided Spiderwire tied extra long to adjust to wear over heavy clothing

Another Backstabber Success Story

2011-10-26T06:38:00.009-06:00

This is Mark, from Dharma of the Drift. Just had to send you an email about this..

A friend of mine, a hard core carp angler (in the euro bait fishing style) invited me to come carp fishing with him next week, in a place that he said I was likely to be able to take one on the fly. Having never hooked a carp before, I eagerly accepted.

In anticipation, I started tying some carp flies today, and remembered your backstabber pattern. So I pulled up your blog and got the step by step on the screen and tied up a half dozen or so. As I was tying I couldn't see any reason why they wouldnt work for other species too, so I decided to take them out and give them a try. A few hours later and I hooked and landed my first fish on a backstabber...and what a fish it was. A big beautiful tiger trout, easily my best trout of 2011, and maybe ever (gotta measure the rod in the picture as a reference and see if it's at least 20").

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about another backstabber success story!

Thanks, Mark

Thanks for the note, Mark! Stories like this make my day...hell, they make my year! I'll take this over Umpqua royalty checks any time! (well...until bills are due...)
--Jay

There May Be Some Sketch Involved

2011-10-25T06:26:00.015-06:00

That is how he prefaced the trip once I had agreed to join him. There may be some sketch involved. Well…I ain’t scared a no ghost. I eat sketch for breakfast—I convinced myself. So, my friend Peter successfully convinced me to go on a wild goose chase of sorts. Parking along a road in a non-descript, but very particular, gravel pull-off and bush whacking strait down into a narrow canyon. There was a stream down below and if it held trout they could be big and plentiful and untouched. You know…could be. I could not pass on the opportunity. I had known Peter for over a year and never fished with him. Long time coming. Besides, he was a long-time Nederander and I am a recent Coal Creek Canyon Dweller. I felt like this invite had something to do with that. We were neighbors now. I was finally one of the cool kids shivering and smoking cigarettes out behind the BFI dumpster. I had to go. Sketch and all. Bring it.

True to plan, I met Peter at a pre-designated mountain bar and he jumped into my truck with an arm-load of fishing gear. “How many rods ya bringin’?”

“Just the one. A three weight?” I said.

“Cool. We good? Lets go!”

Sweet. Let’s do it!

And there was, no kidding, some sketch involved. A drive-by: yeah, that was the spot! Swingin’ a u-ey on a mountain highway. Skidding to a halt on a narrow gravel shoulder. Dashing across previously mentioned highway in half-donned waders and clutching rod parts. And then an Apollo 13-esk descent down an un-trailed rocky gorge into the promised land. Yes…plenty of delicious sketch. And the stream below was, also, as Peter had promised. There was hardly sign of any others before us, the trout were plentiful/good-sized/ gullible (they loved a #12 Banksia Bug!) and we each were able to get our fill…our fix…with still enough time to turn back and hike out before dark.

Then, back at the mountain bar we came to the realization that neither one of us had our wallets with us. I had a check book (bar don’t take checks…sorry) and Peter had his AmEx (Visa or MC only…sorry). So we scrounged our vehicles and came up with a five spot and some change. What’s yer cheapest beer? PBR? $2.50 each? Sweet! Even got enough for a tip! And we nursed those two and tried to guess how many trout we had landed…

Frying Pan Report

2011-10-24T06:37:00.024-06:00

The Frying Pan River is low and fishing well. It is at 90cfs last I checked (but click on it to see an up-to-date flow). This big rainbow was caught on a size 22 top secret midge with 6x, by Ben Schloesser. He was sight fishing the flats up from the bend pool. There were definitely a handful of other 20"+ fish out there, he said. Great fishing, beautiful day and light crowds (it was a Thursday).

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-10-23T06:29:00.001-06:00

Carpaholic from 7 Weight on Vimeo.

The Save Bristol Bay Road Show

2011-10-22T14:04:00.001-06:00

The Save Bristol Bay Road Show is coming to Denver in just 6 days!
This Thursday, Oct 27, 7pm at the Oriental Theater in Denver.

This promises to be a great event. Come learn about what's happening in the world's most valuable Salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska. See the award-winning documentary "Red Gold" and hear first-hand accounts from Alaska natives, fisherman and guides. Plus enter to win over $500 in outdoor and fishing gear! Be sure to RSVP and get free admission...(Corvallis, OR sold out!)

FREE appetizers of Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon, prepared by Wild Catch Restaurant's Chef Justin Brunson
Screening the award-winning documentary "Red Gold" and holding a panel discussion with commercial fisherman, natives, and sport guides from the Bristol Bay Region.
RAFFLE for over $500 in outdoor and fishing gear including a Scott fly rod and reel!

RSVP HERE: http://denverredgoldroadshow.eventbrite.com/

Tip of the week

2011-10-22T06:25:00.011-06:00

When you lose a nice trout, don't pout...it makes you look silly.

Saturday Tying Demo In Longmont!

2011-10-21T06:21:00.036-06:00

The Longmont fly shop The Laughing Grizzly will be kicking off their free Saturday morning fly tying demonstrations this weekend! Come on up and visit with Mike, Dick and Frank in north Longtucky from 10:00 'till linch time. There will be bear bait (doenuts) and hot coffee for sure. I will be tying some new stuff, too...some Booby Frog action and some Clownshoe Stone Flies. Maybe this time I will even keep my clothes on...but all bets are off.

Pretty Red Poison

2011-10-20T06:36:00.002-06:00

I grew up playing outside bare foot and shirtless, but always aware of rusty nails, armed farmers and poison ivy. I would usually make it through summer vacation unscathed, but come October...I was an itchy, swollen and miserable mess! I guess I could never overcome the urge to play with the pretty red leaves!

Being fly fishers and fairly outdoor savvy, I suspect most of you can identify poison ivy along the banks of your favorite creek or pond, but let me warn you all (from experience!) if you take young children fishing with you... Poison ivy turns almost poinsettia red in the fall. Do not be tempted to build a dinner table center piece!

Visa State of Mind (Or: The Grand Journey of My Fishing Licence)

2011-10-19T06:30:00.013-06:00

So, yeah...I dropped my wallet into a river awhile back. I had it tucked into my fishing pack next to my camera—in a little padded, waterproof compartment. As we were de-wadering and loading up at the end of the day I realize I had no billfold. Not too big of a deal...'cause I have a terrible short-term memory and I misplace important items daily. Probably just forgot it at the house. Right? But no such luck. And I had no idea where to start looking. So, I did all the responsible things one must do when misfortune such as this befalls. Cancel the credit card, buy a replacement fishing license and take a weekday off work to spend at the DMV to get a new "convict/pedophile” photo taken and a new driver license sent out to me. Done. Survived.

I printed myself a new fishing license on day one. Simple, I spend most days in a fly shop that sells them anyway. Day five I had off so I went in and sat on the Group W Bench alongside all the mother rapers and father stabbers (and father rapers, too). Day ten I receive my brand new license in the mailbox—sweet—even though the new photo is straight out of the D.O.C., minus the orange jump suit. Then, day twenty after the billfold went missing, I receive a funny letter from Lois Ott at the Nederland Police Department. The letter contains my old fishing license and my old driver license…as well as a little blue post-it note wishing me a great day! Apparently James Stevens—a Ned resident (and fisherman)—had attempted to send me these missing items, but had sent them to my old address which appears on my licenses. Included in the original envelope was a note from James: “I found these in the N. ST. Vrain in Rocky Mountain Nat. Park. Hope you are OK.”

Now, let me recap. My billfold fell out of my pack and into the stream where it drifted for days, eventually empting its’ contents to include my licenses. Then they are discovered by another fisherman who takes the time to mail them to me, but they come back to him Return to Sender. (You know how long that turn-around time usually is!) So eventually this Good Samaritan decides to drop his returned letter off at his local police department. Then the days of investigative work began…and they track me down! And send me my licenses with a nice post-it note! Wow!

Now to the point of this drawn-out story. It has been a month now since I lost my stuff. All the above drama has unfolded. AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY VISA CREDIT CARD REPLACEMENT! Yo Visa. Pull your heads out, will ya? WTF? (yes, Miss Sue…the F is for fiddlesticks!) I mean, thanks for the month-long forced savings plan, but seriously…

Love me them Sonic Pros

2011-10-18T06:24:00.008-06:00

Sound out the word, Jay…Not Gni? No Tgnid… Oh, wait! I gotta say, I have not raved about a pair of waders in a long time. I have worn all the fancy, high-priced breathable chest waders—the $700 Simms. And they all have leaked by the end of their first season. Every single one of ‘em. Sometimes they would leak after month one on the front lines! Sure, I am rough on my gear. I throw temper tantrums and snap high-end rods on snags. I drive over reels and use fly boxes as hammers. And slide down canyons and body breach mined-wire obstacles in brand new waders. But that’s my job. What I am paid to do. Yup…be dumb with expensive stuff. Now when a customer comes into the fly shop and asks, I can tell them. Nope. Not worth the price tag. Bloody things have nothin’ but tape on the inside…

So that is how I found myself in a pair of $250 Redington Sonic Pro Waders this season. My thinking was this: If $700 waders leak after one year, then why not get less expensive ones and beat them like a farm truck and be done with them? Conclusion? Season One…NOT EVEN A PIN PRICK LEAK!

Just One More for the Road

2011-10-17T06:23:00.011-06:00

We ran into Sean Hudson near the parking lot. “Only saw the one pike,” I reported. “And he was headed the other way! Other than that, not a bump.”

“Huh,” Sean said. He had landed four pike. And he had gotten to the lake after us.

Erin looked down at her wading boots and kicked at a loose rock. “We suck!”

“Well…shoot!” I surmised.

“Gotta go to work now,” Sean said. “I’ve been irresponsible enough for one morning!”

Well shoot…

So we didn’t quit…Erin and I. We buggered on into the mid-day—heaving pike streamers. Trying not to suck so bad. This was very possibly the last day of the season for us to chase down these toothy critters. Too much other water. Too may other fish. Not a long enough year. No nine-day week and 14-month calendar. So this was our last shot at one for the road. Besides, it is brutal to wake up at 4am on your day off, leave the house by 5 and be on the water half an hour before sun up and be fishless by noon…yes, brutal. But we persevered. Kept on keepin’ on—driven by the memory of our friend Sean’s casual Yeah, got four pike and one nice bass…

And, yeah…we finally got some. They were small. Hammer handles—but pike none-the-less. One was even good enough to take a photo of. Sure, I had to hold it way out to the camera so it wouldn’t be embarrassed…

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-10-16T06:16:00.002-06:00

Tip of the week

2011-10-15T06:53:00.008-06:00

Even when the fishing gets slow...don't get caught poaching the kiddie pond!

Conventional Wisdom Stumbles into a Room of Fly Tiers

2011-10-14T07:17:00.002-06:00

The Geezus Lizard and Texas Ringworm are two bass flies that have finally evened the playing field. They have allowed fly fishermen to dabble into the not-so-secret voodoo world of conventional bass anglers worldwide. Their existence is born from a frustrated desire to turn what I had learned in my youth about bass and bass lures into a viable fly rod option, without loosing the life-like and traditional advantage of a hand-tied fly. Their conception consumed a large part of my adolescent and adult life. As a kid in rural Ohio and Pennsylvania, I grew up with an easy understanding of fish that liked to eat small bugs. I got trout. I understood bluegill, because they had an affinity toward bugs which were an easy size to cast with my noodly fiberglass fly rod. I even felt comfortable with the smallmouth bass in our local rivers…they at least liked to eat little soft-shell crayfish. I could easily tie and cast a slightly weighted brown woolly bugger! But the part of the Mid-West I grew up in was filthy with farms and fields and old barns…and behind every dilapidated old barn or back in every “Back 40” was an equally neglected farm pond full of largemouth bass! I would catch them easily on sparse bucktail streamers and small cork poppers, but the ones that ate were always the young ones…the one and two pound farm-ponders that were still small enough to get excited about a juvenile crayfish or crippled damsel fly. The big bass seldom showed any interest in my flies. To my great disappointment.

I joined the Army and left Ohio when I was eighteen years old. During the years that followed I spend a large amount of my time in training or deployed overseas, but was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina were I was introduced to Southern Bass and a much more technical and refined way of fishing. And it wasn’t fly fishing. I learned about the Pig-n-Jig, the Zarra Spook and the weedless rubber worm…both Texas rigged and Carolina rigged. It was a bass-fishing rebirth for me! I found many largemouth bass…and large ones! But, when I got out of the service (the life of an infantry paratrooper is not kind on the body!) I hung up my spinning rods in favor of, once again, the fly rod. Since then I have lived and guided throughout Alaska and the Rocky Mountain West…chasing salmon and trout, but never ignoring my original love of the warmwater species. I would still sniff out a hidden bass pond any chance I got, regardless of the magnitude of the hatches on any local trout streams. And every season my flies would come closer and closer to matching the deadliness of those jigs and worms I used all those years ago.

The Geezus Lizard The creation of the Geezus Lizard hinged entirely on the conception of the ferruled dubbing loop tail. I have tried for years to build a worm-like fly, or fly appendage, to mimic the rubber worms conventional bass anglers have in their arsenal. The long, narrow look of a worm undulating and jerking near the bottom of a pond or lake is well known for triggering big bass strikes…conventional bass fishermen have know this for decades, one of the reasons long, soft plastics are one of the most frequently used lures. I tried chenille, rabbit strips and a whole assortment of other tying materials…but the end result always looked like a bag of chopped assholes leaked onto my tying desk. Once I grasped the concept of ferruling a long dubbing loop, it all fell into place. I used durable thread and dubbing wax and some real nice, long fibered dubbing that I could rake out. Then I sexed it up a bit by using two separate colors on either end of the dubbing loop, giving the worm a segmented look. The yellow tip on the tail was a nod to all the old “Mister Twister” tails on the jigs and soft baits. The rest of the Geezus Lizard is modeled after conventional lures like the Pig-n-Jig, only using crosscut rabbit strips and rubber legs. The only slight modifications were the true jig style hook and the wire ribbed scud back on the underneath of the fly. This does two things, it makes the fly look a lot cooler…and, on the practical side, it allows the fly to zip right back down to the mud after it has been jerked by the angler. This gives the Geezus Lizard a very unique action it the water, very closely matching the way a spooked crayfish darts out, then immediately tucks back to the bottom. This action has the same effect on bass as a four inch, wounded bluegill listing to one side and darting about erratically! The bass just have to pounce! I have fished the Geezus Lizard primarily for largemouth bass, but it has been a devastating fly for smallmouth bass, large trout, northern pike and some friends have even used it for reds off the coast of Texas ! It can be fished deep and slow, or fast and shallow…in rivers or stillwater!

Texas Ringworm This fly was designed for one simple purpose…to completely revolutionize the way we fly fish for bass in this country. To put fly fisherman on the same playing field as every conventional gear bass fisherman from southern California to the famous lakes in Florida. Every warm water fly tier has claimed to invent a fly that is the equivalent to the Texas-rigged rubber worm (one of the most commonly and effectively used tricks in conventional bass fishing). But almost all of them are no more than a ratty piece of chenille with some misshapen piece of rabbit hide glued to the end of it. But, once I had perfected the ferruled dubbing loop tail of the Geezus Lizard I had a decent “worm” taken care of…all I needed to do was to create an effective internal hook mechanism. This fly is absolutely deadly. I prefer to fish it with floating line when on small bass ponds and on a sink tip fly line when on a river or larger reservoir. The sink tip treats the fly just like a “Carolina rigged” plastic worm. In conventional bass angling the weedless-rigged rubber worm is such a mainstay because it is simple and easy to rig, appears natural and unhindered in the water and—most importantly—seldom fouls or snags. A fly equivalent to this lure is not commercially available. Whereas many hard-core conventional bass fishermen tend to fish larger bodies of water, the vast majority of the weekend worrier warm-water fly fishermen across the country spend their Saturdays not astride a Hunter bass boat on a large reservoir…but behind a neighbors’ barn harassing the farm-pond bass. The major handicap these fledgling fly casters have burdened themselves with (and what will, in the end, keep them forever loyal and tethered to the spinning rod) is a severe lack of proper fly-replacements for their go-to conventional lures and rubber baits. The Texas Ringworm is a simple fly to rig and fish when compared to its rubber-worm contemporaries. The hard-mono loop keeps the large TMC 8089 hook facing up and snag free. It stays in place even through the longest or brutal casting, but detaches immediately once a bass eats and the hook is set. Once the fish has been detached, the hard-mono loop is easily re-attached.

How To Tie The Geezus Lizard

How To Tie The Texas Ringworm

Buy These Flies Online!

Hatches Fly Tying Magazine

2011-10-13T06:22:00.003-06:00

Hatches 2011: Geezus Lizard and Texas Ringworm by Jay Zimmerman

Hatches 2011: Emerging Patterns – Tying the Missing Link by Russ Forney

For some, a flurry of mayflies hovering over the water is the initial sign of a hatch. In reality, though, insect activity might have been churning frenetically below the water’s surface for many hours before. Emergence begins well before the first dun pops off the water, and so does some of the most productive fishing. [...]

Hatches 2010: A Midwinter Refection on Flies by Bob White

It was my first season in Alaska, and I was one of several new fishing guides that had gathered around the bonfire to unwind, review the day, and listen to Rusty. The old guide was the consummate bush rat, and had forgotten more about living and working in the North Country than many of us [...]

Hatches 2010: Tying the Devil’s Reject by Brent Drew & Alex Cerveniak

A deceptive calm fills the air. The river gurgles. A light breeze whispers like a witch’s spell, enticing the angler to take a nap at the water’s edge. But even as he dozes off, he senses that something isn’t quite right. A sixth sense has his subconscious on guard. He glances uneasily over his shoulder [...]

Hatches 2010: Covering the Hendrickson Hatch by Nick Pionessa

My mind leafed through the pages of a crumbling paperback to drawings made by a master with whom I was barely familiar. “This must be a Quill Gordon,” I said. “No, I think it’s a Hendrickson.” I remember the day as if it were yesterday because it was my birthday and that Hendrickson was one [...]

Order A Copy! $6.95

Heavy JuJu (Oooo Weeee Ooooo!)

2011-10-12T06:47:00.017-06:00

My favorite small mayfly nymph just got better. The Juju Baetis has always been one of my Big Thompson go-to flies (as well as many other local rivers thick with the BWO) but rarely use it on smaller water like South and Middle Boulder Creeks...mainly because I am fishing a two-fly dry/dropper rig and I need the nymph to sink fast...on its own. This is important when fishing smaller pocket water, you don't have that much time for the dropper nymph to sink if the TOT (Time On Target) is a mere three seconds! So thanks, Charlie...even bigger fan now.

October Largemouth

2011-10-11T18:49:00.001-06:00

Autumn bass ain’t like summer bass. The water levels have all dropped as well as the water temperatures—and the bass metabolism. With the cold snaps and cool nights we have seen an end to the thick beds of aquatic vegetation crawling with bug life…no more crazy summer nights with damsels zipping about every which way and young largemouth popping out of the water after them. No more making love in the green grass behind the stadium—sorry Van Morrison. The cattail’s are more gold than green, the lily pads have died and the grass is brown. But the bass are still there…just not as gung-ho as they were a couple months ago. Cold water hits these fish like a prison sentence or combat tour hits a 19-year-old…kinda sucks out the piss and vinegar. So fish slow and deep and choose your flies accordingly. Pick bass flies that have the best, life-like action even “on the drop” or when crawled painfully slow on the bottom or through the last remaining weed lines. I have been using a black Texas Ringworm on some of my local ponds recently. I use a long, but stout leader (9ft 1x) most times. Tie the fly on using some sort of loop knot, as this greatly increases the back and forth “walk-the-dog” action of the fly…even when fished slow. I tie the Rapala knot because my go-to has always been the clinch (or improved clinch) so making the transition is simple. Look up the two knots online and you will see. The Texas Ringworm is technically an articulated streamer, so the action is borderline schizophrenic and the hook rides up and is buried so the worm is virtually snag free and weedless…so toss it into all the nasty slop!

Big Thompson River October Report

2011-10-10T06:12:00.001-06:00

October is officially the off season up at Fun City…and the town actually reverts back to Estes Park. The tourist traps have closed until next year. And you can even find a spot on the Big Thompson to fish. The river though the canyon (between Estes Lake and the town of Drake, along RT 34) is low and clear (about 70 cfs) and the fishing has been good…is good…and will be good. My recommendation is to go early (not crazy early, just be there before ten) and start below the dam at Estes Lake. If you go on a Monday through Thursday there may only be one or two other dew bags to fight with… You will likely find some 12 to 16 inch browns rising to midges. Scale back to 6x and try the size 22 and 24 midge dries. After 15 minutes working one fish a #24 rusty RS2 took my best fish the other day. Now, once you migrate farther down the canyon things start to loosen up a bit. I got away with a #14 Clown Shoe Caddis (there will be caddis around at some point in the afternoon) on a 9ft 5x leader with a #20 Black Poison Tung nymph dropped off about 16 inches with 6x tippet.

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-10-09T06:15:00.004-06:00

Tip of the week

2011-10-08T06:41:00.006-06:00

Yeah, some fishermen don’t know…but fish like, need water to live, man. So if you hold them out of the water for too long…you know, to get that cool picture, they will totally dry out. Then they like, die and shit. And they look all weird…

A Good Old Fashioned Fish Killin’

2011-10-07T06:18:00.020-06:00

The fishing the day before had been brutal. It was a good day, mind you…just tough on the body—like a good night drinking. But I don’t do that to myself anymore. The reward for surviving ones youth is to take better care of yourself, I suppose. So I slept in and did not pry myself out of bed until late morning. The lure of caffeine and the head was far too strong. I am getting old, I thought as I sat at the dining-room table with a mug of coffee and a laptop computer opened up in front of me. Yesterday’s fishing was more of an adventure than a fishing trip…very much deserving of a story. And my back still pained me because of it. But I could not concentrate on the keyboard. I sat, enjoying the peace and the warming effects of the coffee, and gazed out the big plate glass windows with a view up my steep side of the mountain as the parade of mule deer came down. It is fall up here in the canyon. It comes a bit earlier than down in the flat land. The mornings are frosty and the aspen leaves are turning yellow. The weirdo tourists will be coming soon.

This is the time of year I miss where I come from. Miss my first family. Because this is the time of year when we would set aside all of life’s nuisances in favor of real things. It was hunting season. The time to fill the freezer with meat. A time for some killing. I was reminded and sidetracked by this as I sat, alone, at the heavy wooden table and watched the deer. They were close…mere yards away. Only heavy glass and some tall grass separated us. I had to move the mouse and type slowly…as not to spook them. In my youth, on deer stand, I had to raise my bow slowly, take aim slowly…never had to worry about moving my bloody mouse slowly! This all made me feel a bit soft and pathetic. And hungry. But too lame to put food on my own table. So I got up off my ass (spooking all the deer) rounded up a six weight and a soft cooler and drove out of my canyon on a mission. I was in the mood for a good old fashioned fish killin’. I knew of a lake overcrowded with crappie and yellow perch—to the point that a little “thinning of the flock” would actually do its inhabitants some good. And that is the lake were I found my fresh fish sandwich…which I enjoyed hours later back at the heavy wooden dinner table!

Connect (The Colorado Premiere)

2011-10-06T06:33:00.002-06:00

Did you like the film trailer I posted as the Sunday Morning Movie at the start of the week? Well, you can go see the entire production at the Oriental Theater (4335 W 44th Ave. Denver, CO 80212) on thursday, October 20th at 7:00PM. To learn more go to: www.thegreenbacks.org To buy tickets ($12) Click Here!

See you all there!

Our Creek Gives Back

2011-10-05T06:01:00.001-06:00

You will hear me yammer away about how often I fish Boulder Creek and how dearly I love this particular body of water. I hope I don't get to sounding like a broken record. September and October are my favorite times to be on the creek. The water levels are at 25 cfs (low) clear and cold. The water will be at about 52-54 degrees in the morning and, on sunny days, rising to 56-58 degrees by late afternoon. If you find yourself up Boulder canyon in the morning you may have to use small midge or Blue Wing Olive mayflies (size 20/22). The cold nights keep the water temps low, the larger caddis dormant and cause the leaves and apples to drop. In the afternoon you will be able to get away with bigger bugs (size 16/14 caddis dries and size 18 nymph droppers).

If you happen to stumble onto a cluster of apples in a back eddy of Boulder Creek this Fall don't be scared to make them a stream side meal! I have no idea what breed these creek apples are, but they are sweet, delicious and usually only half bruised. (And they ain't road apples, I know that much...)

How to Tie the Texas Ringworm Fly (Step by Step)

2011-10-04T06:19:00.008-06:00

This fly was designed for one simple purpose…to completely revolutionize the way we fly fish for bass in this country. To put fly fisherman on the same playing field as every conventional gear bass fisherman from southern California to the famous lakes in Florida. Every warm water fly tier has claimed to invent a fly that is the equivalent to the Texas-rigged rubber worm (one of the most commonly and effectively used tricks in conventional bass fishing). But almost all of them are no more than a ratty piece of chenille with some misshapen piece of rabbit hide glued to the end of it. But, once I had perfected the ferruled dubbing loop tail of the Geezus Lizard I had a decent “worm” taken care of…all I needed to do was to create an effective internal hook mechanism. This fly is absolutely deadly. I prefer to fish it with floating line when on small bass ponds, on a sink tip fly line when on a river or larger reservoir. The sink tip treats the fly just like a “Carolina rigged” plastic worm.

In conventional bass angling the weedless-rigged rubber worm is such a mainstay because it is simple and easy to rig, appears natural and unhindered in the water and—most importantly—seldom fouls or snags. A fly equivalent to this lure is not commercially available.

Whereas many hard-core conventional bass fishermen tend to fish larger bodies of water, the vast majority of the weekend worrier warm-water fly fishermen across the country spend their Saturdays not astride a Hunter bass boat on a large reservoir…but behind a neighbors’ barn harassing the farm-pond bass. The major handicap these fledgling fly casters have burdened themselves with (and what will, in the end, keep them forever loyal and tethered to the spinning rod) is a severe lack of proper fly-replacements for their go-to conventional lures and rubber baits.

The Texas Ringworm is a simple fly to rig and fish when compared to its rubber-worm contemporaries. The hard-mono loop keeps the large TMC 8089 hook facing up and snag free. It stays in place even through the longest or brutal casting, but detaches immediately once a bass eats and the hook is set. Once the fish has been detached, the hard-mono loop is easily re-attached.

Texas Ringworm Recipe (Or buy online for $5.99 each)

Black Eel

Tail
Hook: TMC 105 #4
Thread 1: Daville’s 3/0 waxed monocord—dark brown (used as main dubbing loop)
Thread 2: Uni-Thread 6/0 black (used as small finishing dubbing loop)
Tip: Fluorescent Green Chartreuse McFlyfoam
Dubbing 1: Poul Jorgensen SLF Salmon & Steelhead dubbing “claret black”
Dubbing 2: Poul Jorgensen SLF Salmon & Steelhead dubbing “peacock”
Gangion: Hard Mono or Fluoro (.017) and Hareline Dubbin standard tubing “brown”

Body
Hook: TMC 8089 #2
Thread: Uni-Thread 6/0 olive
Throat 1: Fluorescent red marabou
Throat 2: Golden olive marabou
Main Body: Magnum rabbit strip “black”
Topping: 3 feathers Hareline Dubbin “Grizzly Marabou Olive” (GRIZM263)

Head
Core: Loon UV fly paint “yellow”
Eyes: Hareline Dubbin 3/16” Oval Pupil 3D Eyes Red/Black Pupil (OP3310)
Bottom: Loon UV fly paint “red”
Top: Loon UV Knot Sense
Outer Coating: Loon UV Knot Sense, then final coat of Hard-as-Hull

Sunfish

Tail
Hook: TMC 105 #4
Thread 1: Daville’s 3/0 waxed monocord—white (used as main dubbing loop)
Thread 2: Uni-Thread 6/0 olive (used as small finishing dubbing loop)
Tip: Montana Fly Frog’s Hair golden yellow
Dubbing 1: Dave Whitlock SLF dubbing “minnow belly”
Dubbing 2: Dave Whitlock SLF dubbing “dragonfly nymph olive”
Gangion: Hard Mono or Fluoro (.017) and Hareline Dubbin standard tubing “light olive”

Body
Hook: TMC 8089 #2
Thread: Uni-Thread 6/0 olive
Throat 1: Fluorescent red marabou
Throat 2: Shell pink marabou
Main Body: Olive Barred Magnum rabbit strip “light olive” (Hareline BMR212)
Topping: 3 feathers Hareline Dubbin “Grizzly Marabou Olive” (GRIZM263)

Head
Core: Loon UV fly paint “yellow”
Eyes: Hareline Dubbin 3/16” Oval Pupil 3D Eyes Orange/Black Pupil (OP3271)
Bottom: Loon UV fly paint “red”
Top: Loon UV Knot Sense
Outer Coating: Loon UV Knot Sense, then final coat of Hard-as-Hull

Tying step 1 Create 8 inch dubbing loop using 3 strands of 3/0 waxed monocord. Dubbing 1: Dave Whitlock SLF dubbing “minnow belly”, Tip: Montana Fly Frog’s Hair golden yellow, Dubbing 2: Dave Whitlock SLF dubbing “dragonfly nymph olive”. Twist and create Geezus Lizard tail by allowing twisted dubbing loop to furrel back over itself.
See More on this Method!

Tying step 2 Mount tail onto TMC 105 size 4 hook using Zap-a-Gap to reinforce hold to the hook shank. Then create small three-tone dubbing loop to cover junction and continue tail variegation

Tying step 3 Apply very small amount of Zap-a-Gap to junction of tail tip

Tying step 4 Trim and taper tail tip, also brush out entire tail using dubbing brush. The finished tail should be 2 ½ inches long

Tying step 5 Cut a 6 inch piece of .017 hard mono or Rio Fluoroflex tippet, loop through eye and slide on a quarter inch of Hairline Standard Tubing

Tying step 6 On a TMC 8089 #2 tie in two throat tuffs of marabou using olive thread

Tying step 7 Double-thread the mono into the magnum rabbit strip

Tying step 8 Slip mono loop over hook point and over the bend

Tying step 9 Thread mono into hook eye and then tie down and adjust length of mono so hinge works correctly. There should be a slight “click” when the loop is properly engaged

Tying step 10 Once mono is adjusted correctly, finish tying it down and trim off tags on the underside. Apply some Zap-a-Gap to insure that it is secure and will not move or slip

Tying step 11 Bring the rabbit strip over and tie down at head of fly

Tying step 12 Tie in 2 or 3 pieces of olive grizzly marabou on top of the rabbit strip

Tying step 13 Trim marabou and whip finish...once tall, but narrow head has been built

Tying step 14 Coat head with yellow UV fly paint. It will appear green when applied over the green thread

Tying step 15 Stick on eyes

Tying step 16 Flip upside down and apply red UV fly paint

Tying step 17 Fill in top of head with clear UV knot sense, also cover entire head with thin coating of the knot sense. Then apply a final coat of Hard as Hull or some other head cement. This final coat will leave the head with a super clear finish

October on Boulder Creek (A Fall Fishing Report)

2011-10-03T07:00:00.002-06:00

In October the stream flow on Boulder Creek will be 20 to 35 cubic feet per second (It is 24cfs as I write this) and the water temperature will be 42 to 52 degrees. On sunny days the water will start out cold and warm up fast. At 10:00 in the morning the stream temperature can be 43 degrees and by 2:00 in the afternoon it can be up to 48 degrees. The mornings can be downright slow fishing, but the afternoons can be fantastic!

You will see small BWO mayflies hatching in the early afternoons on the creek...and many of the trout will be eating them off the surface, but the most productive method is still going to be the dry/dropper rig using a #16 caddis dry (Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulator or Clown Shoe Caddis) with a #18 weighted nymph hanging off the bend of the dry about 12 inches. Use a BWO Tungsten Micro-Mayfly nymph or a Poison Tung.

The brown trout in Boulder Creek will begin spawning the second week of October and will go at it approximately three weeks. Sometime around the 6th or 7th of the month you will see the trout messing around with each other and acting funny. You will not have to adjust the way you are fishing, just move slower and try to make longer casts upstream, because the browns will be holding in very shallow water over loose gravel.

By mid October the leaves will start falling in earnest. The leaves will clutter up the pools and eddies and create an annoying obstacle. Many will be bright yellow in color and will make seeing your dry fly or indicator very difficult. They will continually get snagged on your flies as well. This is very irritating, especially during breezy days when there are a lot of new leaves being added to the mix. To overcome this I use a Clown Shoe Caddis dry fly tied with a fluorescent cerise tuft of McFly yarn on the top. You will be able to pick out this color easily amongst all the yellow leaves.

And don't forget to eat some Creek Apples!

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-10-02T06:39:00.002-06:00

Rocky Mountain Anglers Hosts The Frenzy!

2011-10-01T21:39:00.002-06:00

Rocky Mountain Anglers was pleased to be the morning meeting spot as well as the mid-day rally point for the "Rocky Mountain Frenzy". This was day two of the 3-day fly fishing blogger meet-n-greet here in Colorado. Present was Dave Goodrich (Back Country Fish Nerd) Sean Sanders (Up The Poudre) Erin Block (Mysteries Internal) Howard Levett (Wind Knots & Tangled Lines) Kyle Perkins (Compleat Thought) Emily Blankenship (River Damsel) Larry Snyder (Fly Fish Crazy) Gary Thompson (Silk Lines & Paper Hulls) Andy Suttoff (AJSutts Blog) and Jen Kugler (Fly Fishilicious)

Stop Dreamin'...The Browns Are In!

2011-09-30T11:59:00.002-06:00

Randy Hicks and Brian Harris of Rocky Mountain Anglers (Boulder, Colorado) left the house early yesterday morning and headed south...on the hunt for big browns! And they found them. There were a few other fishermen down on the Platte...shufflin' around in the gravel looking for redds. But the big fish had just gotten there, so they were only in the deep pools. The redd raiders were coming up empty. Randy and Brian, however, were keepin' it real. Nothing real big, but eight or so fish over 20 inches. Also of note: #22 tricos between 9:00 and noon some smaller browns and cutts were on them heavy.

Yup…That’s The Plan

2011-09-29T07:27:00.010-06:00

“Well…let me know how it turns out.” Tom said.

I had run into a friend of mine at Alfalfa’s grocery store. “So, whatcha got planned?” He asked. Now, I don’t know if my walking around facial expression reads: I Am Up To Something. But my friend Tom knew… He spotted me on the prowl for portabella mushrooms and approached with the same caution many guys I know as patrons of the fly shop do…as though I were some sort of semi-dangerous escapee—having gnawed off a foot, bent the bars and now loose in public.

So, I gave him the run down. (Insert a mental snapshot of a Wild-Eyed Expression!) I had this plan to explore a stretch of canyon trout stream I thought few had ever seen. Sure, it was a well-known stream that is also known to hold only smallish trout…those from 8 to 10 inches as an average, but I knew there were only two popular access points and they were a days hike apart…but with some very hairy and quite possibly impassable narrows between them. I told him about how we were going to do a vehicle drop in this little town up in the mountains, then drive my truck back down to this big reservoir that I know the stream empties into. We would hike all the way back to the inlet (this alone may take some time and navigating…it is a large reservoir way up in the mountains) and then commence fishing upstream until we run into a set of old railroad tracks…then hoof it into the little town where we had the other car parked. Simple. And my hunch was that somewhere in the middle we would run into the Glory Stretch…the part of the stream that is rarely ever seen, let alone fished—somewhere downstream of the one known “pinch point” of the canyon that had, in past years, kept me from wandering farther down from the upper access…and upstream farther than the practical “turn-around” point for those moving up from the reservoir inlet and hoping to be back to the car before dark. In this No Man’s Land must reside some good trout. One would think.

So, Tom wanted to know how it all turned out. “Well…if you ever see me again, it turned out fine,” I said. And I guess that about sums it up. I am still here. So is Erin, my fishing partner. We survived. But there was a good hour or two that I honestly thought we may not. But I dug deep and did my best to stay convincingly positive about the overall outlook of survival…for Erin’s sake. There ended up being an entire series of pinch points in the middle of the canyon. Most were passable only with just the right combination of rock climbing (at one point I actually had to wedge my wrist into a miniature crevasse in order to pull myself up!) swift-water wading and calloused nerves. There were at least two Cliffhanger moments featuring me doing my best Sly Stallone impression. You’re not gonna die! Later, Erin would mention—with a slight waver in her voice—that if her mother witnessed what we had just done she would not like me so much anymore.

Oh…about the Glory Stretch? The rarely seen No Man’s Land? Yup…

Skinny Water Carp (i.e. Late Season)

2011-09-28T06:31:00.004-06:00

As a fly fisherman I look forward to Autumn. Not because the aspens are changing up the canyon, or the Kokanee or the big browns running up the Dream Stream...but because the carp fishing is always at its best. There are several reason the local carp fishing will improve later in the season. The nights are getting cooler, thus the water temperature is steadily dropping. These cooler water temps mean less bug and critter activity...the bitty creatures are beginning to go dormant for longer periods of time every day. Less of this means carp are needing to hunt for food longer--so it is much more probable you will find hungry and vulnerable fish. Approach the mud flats cautiously and try to get as close to the wallowing carp as you can. (Proper colored clothing helps!) They will often be very easy to spot...because they will be up in water so shallow their backs will all be out of the water. But, again...be cautious! You need to get in close and make a short, but accurate cast past them and twitch the fly past their nose. Keep your rod tip high so the leader doesn't touch their back!

America Cup (Local Boys Represent!)

2011-09-27T07:26:00.001-06:00

THE AMERICA CUP INTERNATIONAL FLY FISHING TOURNAMENT

The America Cup is a 5-person 16-team, catch and release, fly fishing tournament with teams from around the world, to include teams from Poland, Ireland, Hungary, Japan and Australia. It is the 3rd largest Fips-Mouche style fly fishing tournament in the world with 80 Anglers competing for 3 days. The America Cup was held in the Colorado mountain town of Vail, CO. this September. The individual 1st Place winner was Rob Kolanda from Longmont. (Most of you likely have met Rob here at Rocky Mountain Anglers, where Rob worked for years!). And the individual 2nd Place was taken by Riley Cotter from Louisville! Riley works for Umpqua Feather Merchants. Both guys are local and good friends of mine, as well as recognizable faces here! So, I am proud as hell. You my boy, Blue!

See Results

How (And Why) to Tie a Furled Dubbing Loop

2011-09-26T07:33:00.001-06:00

Furling fly tying materials is not necessarily a new or innovative technique . I have even seen fly tying books devoted entirely to the practice. I have even seen tiers making small leeches using twisted dubbing loops. But, the concept of creating a true worm using an extra long furled dubbing loop has never been fully explored. Until now! The biggest trick when doing one of these long worms is to have enough confidence in your tier's dexterity to set aside any dubbing spinners or other useless gadgets you were talked into buying. Most of us were born with ten of the best fly tying tools ever...sticking straight out of the ends of our arms. Yes, fingers. Learn to use them.

Use any strong thread. I prefer two strands of Danville's 3/0 waxed monocord. I double up the thread because I feel having two strands aids in the loop's ability to grip the dubbing material more than a single strand of thread twice as thick. Apply a liberal amount of dubbing wax onto the entire thread loop. The stickiness of the wax makes loading up a ton of dubbing into the loop much easier. Also, the wax greatly helps with retaining the dubbing in the worm once it is finished--reducing "shedding". Run the double-strand thread loop over just one finger (Preferably the index finger) of you non-dominate hand. Use the middle finger of that same hand to "close the gap" of the loop...this will hold the clumps of dubbing in place while you are stacking.

Once the entire loop is stacked with dubbing (long-fibered, natural dubbing is always best!) lick your fingers and begin twisting. Put as much twist in the thread as you possibly can without breaking the thread at the hook shank. If your dubbing loop is stacked thick, you may have to rake out some of the loose or wild dubbing every so often as you are twisting. You need as much twist as you can possibly get, because this is what allows it all to furl back over itself. If you have added a bit of yarn into the middle of the loop (to act as the "tip" of the worm once finished) then grab that and pull it back as though it were a bow string. Once the two sides are laying next to each other, give it a slight twist to encourage the furling to begin. You will have to help it along, but that is alright...it gives you the opportunity and control to give the worm an even color segmentation. If you are tying a fly such as a Cinder or Palolo, that do not have the need for a special "tip" then use the crook of your whip-finish tool to hook the twisted dubbing loop at the half-way point and pull it to the side.

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-09-25T07:28:00.003-06:00

The Trifecta from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Lightning's Story

2011-09-24T06:34:00.006-06:00

Written and contributed by Gus Tillinghast

Once there was a fish named Lightning. He was swimming with his friends when he passed a fly. " Oh yeah. Lunch time!" Then he bit it. Then it pulled him close to shore. " Oh darn! Fishermen!" But he was stronger. He pulled the other way. The fisherman fell into the water. Then Lightning slapped him in the face with his tail. Then he swam back to his friends. The next day he got ready for the Fish Olympics. It was the best thing of the year. Everyone went. Even the lazy dogfish went. Then it was time. The first activity was who could swim and jump the fastest and farthest. Lightning won first place for this event. The next one was the cutest baby contest. Lightning's mom and baby River were in this. They won too. The next was how many fishermen you could pull in. It was a tie between Lightning and Finn. The rest Lightning wasn't in. The next day he was messing with fishermen. The sixth time a guy was really strong. Then he got him! He was put into a huge cooler filled with water and other fish and his friends. Then he was taken to an aquarium. He was put into a tank with his friends and family. An hour later the aquarium opened. Then people put their ugly faces up to the glass. That night Lightning showed a trick to his family to swim and jump. Then he told them to jump from tank to tank until they got to the cooler at the exit. But first he made a baby carrier out of seaweed for River. Then they did it! The next morning they were taken back to their pond. They jumped out and swam back to their rock house.

Read More Stories From Gus!

Harelip Trout

2011-09-23T06:50:00.005-06:00

Like children born to cracked out mothers or places in the hills back home where moonshine helps get ya knocked up as well as deal with the following seven to nine months…trout who live in streams frequented by careless or thoughtless fishermen bear the scars and deformations. So, put the shine down, big momma…and crimp your barbs jerks!

Tombstone Shadow

2011-09-22T06:56:00.003-06:00

Sure, it's sort of a no brainer...be careful of your shadow. I mention this only because this is the time of year that a lack of shadow awareness can quickly ruin the day. The best fishing is often in the afternoon on a sunny day (the water has a chance to warm up a tad) but the water is low and the sun will be casting extra long shadows. Wear tan or khaki clothing-to blend in with the canyon rocks-and always pay attention to your shadow.

Autumn on Boulder Creek

2011-09-21T07:08:00.009-06:00

Autumn on Boulder Creek is such a great time...maybe the best! The trout are hungry and the water levels are low. Perfect fishing conditions. One suggestion, though...plan your fishing for later in the day. The nights are getting colder (dropping water temps) so the fish may not be very active in the mornings. Between 1pm and about 4:30 is the best time to be on Boulder Creek in the Fall. Trout will be looking up, so bring dries!

What are the best flies for Boulder Creek?

When are the best times to fish Boulder Creek?

Fishing Anyone’s St. Vrain

2011-09-19T07:32:00.061-06:00

There is a term used by fly fishermen from time to time—locals in town, mainly. “Like Boulder Creek...only wider and with larger trout.” It is a standard point of reference. Like a standard, but vague unit of measure. A scosh. A few. A slog. Sometimes it is South Boulder Creek or even the Big Thompson River that is the unit of measure. It depends on who the participants of the conversation are…and what exactly is being referenced or compared.

I have many favorite John Gierach stories. But the one I have re-read over the years far more than the rest is the one he wrote about his own yard stick, the St. Vrain—the home water that he and his fishing buddy A.K. Best had made famous during their heyday as trout bums. I’d Fish Anyone’s St. Vrain.

“A couple of years ago, just before leaving on what was shaping up, via long-distance telephone, to be a wild, rambling trip through Idaho and Montana, I told A.K. about a little stream a man had said he’d take me to—that is, if I could “spare a day amidst all the razzle-dazzle I had planned.” Without mentioning its name, the guy had described it as a fair-to-middling creek that didn’t hold any really big trout, but he said it was close to his home, real pretty, not too well known, and that he fished it a lot.”

“It won’t knock your socks off,” he’d said, “but I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“Sounds like the St. Vrain,” I said, and he [A.K.] replied, “I’d do it if I were you. I’d fish anyone’s St. Vrain.”

This story was my first real taste of what this part of Colorado was like. I fell in love with it from afar. I was a boy, then…staring out a endless acres of field-corn tassel and dreaming about these places out west with mountains, wild trout and trout streams so commonplace that some were simply driven over and forgotten about. Gierach writes this story about his home water, his own forgotten/ignored stream not as a fly fishing writer, but as a naturalist who also happens to carry a bamboo fly rod along with his binoculars, pen and pad of paper. He describes how, on this stream, he is more apt to get distracted from the trout fishing and end up wandering aimlessly into the woods—consumed by things found alongside a stream, not in them. Berries and owl pellets…wildflowers and mushrooms…and once, a mountain lion.

So, it is a bit odd, I suppose…that I have two St. Vrains in my life now. Not two branches of the same creek (the St. Vrain has three forks, actually) but My St. Vrain which is Middle Boulder Creek…and the Actual St. Vrain. I have my own very intimate relationship with Boulder Creek, and I, too, usually find myself picking up rocks and taking bites out of apples caught in the eddies rather than casting. I know where every fish lives…and I have met them all more than once. And I even have my own “mountain lion” story. Well…it was a black bear, actually (I fear the parallels to the stories and streams are beginning to get confusingly intertwined)…and I chased him up a tree with nothing more than a 3 weight rod.

But it is sometimes nice to venture up to the real St. Vrain—the other nondescript little creek that John had made so famous so long ago. It is not too far away and it has not changed at all. Or, I should say, it seems to be just the same stream…with just the same pools and runs…and with just the same amazing (but not gigantic) trout willing, more often than not, to rise to a dry fly.

And…coupled oddly with these beautiful traits of the stream is the lack of people. Even on weekends it can be wonderfully vacant. You are always happy to have a place like this to yourself—just you and maybe two of your closest friends—but you can’t help but smell the pan of eerie on the stove. Why are we the only ones here? You know it is not private land. Has everyone in Colorado mysteriously died from the time it took us to get from Boulder to here? The last time I felt this was years ago when a new lieutenant accidentally navigated our platoon into the heart of a 100 acre howitzer impact area. Quiet. Not a sign of life anywhere. Lots of big holes and misshapen pine trees, though.

Just when I come to believe we are truly the last fly fisherman left on the earth…I glance downstream and catch sight of an old man and what appears to be his grandson standing on the small wooden bridge I had passed under earlier. They are dressed simply and I see a glint of reflected light from a metal ferrule. Must be a bamboo fly rod… I wave and the old man nods and they vanish from sight.

Later, my buddy Greg pops his head out from the thick brush along the creek and says, “Hey! You’re never gonna believe who I just ran into!”

Huh?

“The guy on the bridge…that was A.K. Best!”

Sunday Morning Movies

2011-09-18T06:58:00.002-06:00

Greenback Goodness from All Mountain Productions on Vimeo.

Ain't enough paper for the names I gotta mention...

2011-09-17T06:59:00.006-06:00

And as long as I got lungs I'm a say this
Long as we got love, we got some that will hate us
We'll never change, it's done for the faithless
And I don't care for favourites on somebody's playlist
Ain't enough paper for the names I gotta mention
Without 'em, no way I would've made it a profession
I wouldn't trade it for a day of my obsession
We're staying dedicated to perfection

--Hill Top Hoods, Still Standing

Tip of the week

2011-09-16T06:33:00.001-06:00

When you are fly fishing along a canyon road...pay attention!

Fly Fishing the Seasons in Colorado

2011-09-15T08:22:00.001-06:00

"The single most important factor that determines a fly angler’s approach to a stretch of water isn’t the time of day, nor is it a hatch of insects or even the character of the water itself. It’s the season. From spring and summer through fall and winter, changes in weather dictate changes in strategy. This can be intimidating. If fish were biting here a month ago, why are things so different now? Where to go where they might be better? The seasonal variation of fishing strategy is necessary knowledge for any fly angler, and Fly Fishing the Seasons: Colorado is the first-ever guidebook to address this subject."

Focusing on the world-class waters of the Centennial State, and with full-color photos throughout, this book comprises four equal sections—summer, fall, winter, and spring—each with a general locator map and each covering five to ten primary locations. The best waters to fish in this particular month or span of months? What flies and techniques to use? Look no further than Fly Fishing the Seasons: Colorado.

Pre-Order a Copy!

Always Carry Some Clousers

2011-09-14T06:18:00.001-06:00

The day was set. We both had the plan. Erin awoke early, ground coffee and began packing ice and snacks in the soft cooler. I rounded up some 6 weights and appropriate fly boxes. Today would be a carp day. Gonna hit the mudflats in the red canoe again. Some new flats this time…some that we had not been on yet this year. This reservoir is one we save for September—the Fall Flats, always a treat at the end of the season.

And we got there early enough to be the only ones on the water, yet not too early…the sun had plenty of time to start warming up the shallow flats and back bays. The critters had begun stirring and there were carp sleuthing about looking for food. Here we come…gliding silently into position, aiming and delivering a fly with smart bomb accuracy. Like an A-10 hunting tanks. OK…maybe we were just trying to be that good. Usually we were getting too close and spooking the carp, or banging the paddle on the side of the canoe (thus sending every fish within 40-yards scurrying for deep water) or simply dumping god-awful, sloppy casts in heaps on top of the unsuspecting carp…scaring the crap out of them. But, every now and again we would manage to do everything right. It always looks so dang good when everything works out. Fish…at one o’clock! Bam. Perfect cast. Strip. Strip. Right there! He’s on it! POW!

But that is carp fishing. Things are stacked against success. And when things are finally beginning to happen…the fish are active and the casts are improving…then the weather changes. Sometimes it isn’t something drastic, like a storm moving in, but something subtle. The wind picks up slightly, or more clouds block the sun…some small things to hinder your ability to see fish. Again, the nature of this type of fly fishing is stacked against success.

I looked at the sky and could tell the light was only going to get weirder. The wind was getting worse, the clouds thicker (and darker) and we were spooking fish long before we had a chance to spot them. I new our carp day was going to be prematurely over. So? What to do?

“Hey, Erin. Got any of those chartreuse Clouser Minnows you tied?”

She did. And we trolled around for two hours…me paddling and Erin holding two six-weights like Yosemite Sam. And we chased a young school of wiper around the lake—giggling with every hook-up. Yup…always carry some Clousers with ya! Never know when they will salvage the day!

Bait Dunkers Found Your Spot

2011-09-13T07:04:00.001-06:00

The first thing you notice is the trash… 22oz Busch Light cans scattered everywhere. And, of course the worm container abandoned on the bank. The nightcrawlers lucky enough to be spared the day before are now being baked to death in the sun.

Then you start tripping on loose mono fishing line strewn from place to place like some poorly constructed spider web. You grumble and cuss as you do your best to police up the mess. Bloody bait fishermen!

Then you spy the fish heads. Laying on rocks. Guts tossed back into the clear water.

A voice for small trout and home waters

2011-09-12T06:50:00.001-06:00

I love small creeks and small trout. I have no shame. And I spend more time on Boulder Creek than any other trout stream.
I grew up reading dusty, old fishing literature where the author inevitably wrote the best and truest essays and anecdotes about their Home Water. As a child reader I always wished to have a worthy home water...some cozy creek or nondescript lake that no one else ever fished. But, the best I ever had was a cow pasture creek with little chubs or a farm pond with more cattails than water.
But, now I have Boulder Creek! I know it like I know the cracks in my trucks windshield! So, let me propose this: GET TO KNOW YOUR HOME WATER BETTER! You should know the pond or creek near your home better than anywhere. Take advantage of living in a place like this! Just think...you could be living in Oklahoma!

3 Reasons to Catch & Release

2011-09-09T06:51:00.002-06:00

The joy one gets from hooking, playing and landing a fine trout on a fly is enough to last a lifetime. The challenge, the spectacle…the achievement—even for seasoned and experienced anglers—that one good fish can make the day. So why kill the trout from your favorite stream or lake? Let it go. Let that same fish make someone else’s day. Let it make another life-long memory. To illustrate…I was looking through photos of trout caught by friends and family this year and made a starting discovery. I recognized one of the brown trout! No kidding! Three different times!

First time caught. June, 27^th 2011 by Erin Block. Fell for a leech pattern!

Second time caught. August 11^th 2011 by Eva Zimmerman. Fell for a callibaetis emerger!

Third time caught. September 5^th 2011 by me! Fell for a dark olive Curmudgeon Crumpler dry fly!

Last Minute Wader Repair

2011-09-08T06:47:00.001-06:00

This is a gear review for the Loon UV wader repair. It was going to be another story about leaky waders and their never-ending inevitability…but ended up sounding like a late-night infomercial. So, I scraped the story and just went ahead and wrote the damn gear review. The product has been around for awhile, I just have never used it for its intended purposes. I always keep a collection of Loon UV activated paint and glues on my fly tying desk. I use the Knot Sense to coat midge pupa and scud backs…and create frog eyes and streamer heads. Even used it to repair a mailbox once—never a set of waders, though. Oh…I forgot! My fishing partner said…standing over a pile of her gear spread out on the kitchen floor. My waders have a big hole! So I sprung, all MacGyver-like into action…with high-speed blue UV light and everything. Patched the waders and my fishing partner stayed dry. I think she was fairly impressed, too. So, you know…thanks Loon Outdoors. I owe ya one!

Become A Professional Pick Pocket

2011-09-06T06:31:00.002-06:00

The Colorado Front Range has a plethora of small to medium-sized rivers most of which are considered high gradient. What this all translates to is miles upon miles of pocket water. The faster you become proficient on this pocket water the better your fishing experience will become.

Limit yourself to short casts (sometimes no longer than your 9ft leader) don't linger too long at one pocket (a "pocket" is any small eddy or micro-run between rocks or fast water) but, most importantly, always plot a route upstream. You should be thinking three or four moves ahead...like a chess game. Lay a couple good casts to the pockets immediately to your front and side, then wade into one of those pockets that you just fished. This gives you perfect positioning on a fresh set of untouched pockets. I can not stress enough how important proper positioning is for this type of fishing...far more than line mending or even fly selection! Mending fly line is usually a futile effort on skinny, high gradient water. Get in position, make your cast to the head of the pocket and keep your rod tip high! The more line and leader you can keep off the water the less chance of getting drag.

Free Wheelin’ (Last Days of Summer)

2011-09-02T06:56:00.001-06:00

I slept in on purpose—a rarity anymore. Then I took my coffee and breakfast on top of a topo map spread out on the kitchen table. I had no plans. No obligations. No company. A full day to burn. The only plans I had at all, on this last day of August, was not to leave the mountains. There would be no cell reception or flat-land heat today. No people, traffic or bustle. Just canyon time. Me time.

I have not lived here—in this cabin up in the mountains—for very long. Maybe a month. Give or take. But it is only a half-hour drive down the canyon road to Boulder…where I moved from. So my new surroundings are not completely foreign to me. I have driven up these roads and fished these streams countless times. Always had a place I was headed, though. Always a destination. Never just opened a map and took a stab. Or went where the coffee rings suggested. Until today…I live up here, now. I have the luxury of such deliberate indecision. Gonna go free wheelin’.

Packed light. One tin of loose flies…dries, mainly. And my favorite 3 weight. Strung the rod, chose the fly and tossed the rig into the bed of my truck. Quick stop in for gas at the canyon “catch all” down the street. The vet clinic, liquor store and Post Office are all there, too. (I just needed a fill up…and some jerky.) Then back on the road. To a random, gravel pull off near the sound of rushing water. A new stretch of trout stream I have never seen before…one stretch among hundreds of stretches. And this one looks good. Mayflies are landing on me before I can make my first cast. Gonna be a good day…

Gonna be a really good day. The water is still higher than it usually is this late in the season—even up at this altitude. So the wading is not simple. I risk serious mishap from time to time…and bash my shins. Gonna have welts and a limp in the morning. Oh well…’cause the trout are rising.