Jumping the Gun...?

At our cabin up in the canyon there is still a foot of snow by the wood pile, and we have fires even during the day. It is cold enough at night and the dog doesn't linger...a fast pee and he is back at the door. But it is to be expected. It is late March and we are in Colorado. And we live at 8000 feet. I am reminded of the end of Jeremiah Johnson...when he and Bear Claw discuss over a rabbit what month it might be. March? April maybe? Winter stays long up this high... But I work down in the flat land and it has been nice down there. Sunny and worm. Hot even.  So the urge to get a crack at some early season bass has been brewing for days now... So today was the day we decided to pull the trigger. As we rolled out of the mouth of the canyon I realized that there was still a lot of snow on the ground even down low. I thought it all had melted. Where we way too early for bass yet? Where we totally jumping the gun? Once we got to the water the first thing I did was dip my hand in to gauge just how much gas money we had wasted... But the water wasn't too bad. Cold, but not frigid.  A promising sign. So we did what you have to do in the early season if you want to find bass...we fished heavy, dark flies on long leaders. Deep and slow. Erin picked up a couple small crappie right off, so I knew we had a chance! And sure thing...the bass came soon after!

Represent Your Mud Flat!

Rep Your Water is not just for you clean water, trout heads anymore...! The new logos are out now for the 2013 season. And you know which one I was rockin' this afternoon on the mud flats!

Check out the new Carp/Backstabber logo from the cool cats over at Repyourwater....

South Boulder Creek

My home water, South Boulder Creek, is very low...hardly a trickle, but the last few days have been so warm and beautiful it has been impossible to stay indoors and labor away at tying or writing projects. Nothing seems more important than being outside with a rod in hand. So Erin and I saddled up and hit the creek for a few hours in the afternoon. In the truck and past Carl's Corner and the canyon liquor store...down the bumpy red-dirt road and on to to the creek. There were a few others down on the water, but is did not deter us as it sometimes has in the past. We were just "glad to be out" as people say. (People we usually make fun of.) Midges were hatching and there were a few trout rising to them...but we took all of our fish below the surface, on small stuff like beadhead Juju's and a fly Erin calls the "Queen E". It was a good day.