Fishing Local

The local creeks are fishable!!!!  That's the big news, at least for me.  The fishing is challenging but on warm days it can improve drastically as low elevation snow and ice melt fill the creek and the water takes on a slight stain.  I managed a couple of hours fishing on both Friday and Sunday afternoons.  The difference?  Friday was in the 50s and the water was slightly stained while on Sunday I was fighting ice on my line and in my guides the whole time.

Amazingly, there were more fish sitting out on Sunday but they were also way more spooky than the fish on Friday.  Of course, with the slight stain on Friday it is a distinct possibility that I wasn't seeing fish that were actually there.  The fish were a bit more willing to chase on Friday in the slightly warmer water temperatures.  The larger fish did not seem to want to expend energy for the most part.  I had some nicer browns come out and casually stare at my slowly bounced streamer but looking and eating were two different things.

One of the amusing aspects of Friday's trip was being photographed for the Daily Camera, Boulder's newspaper.  More to come on that later.

I fished slowly and enjoyed my time on the water while adding to my knowledge of Boulder Creek.  Each stream has its own set of quirks, and I'm slowly learning what is now my local creek.  As with other Colorado waters, etiquette seems to be lacking on Boulder Creek (expect a rant in the near future).  I had one guy stop and fish the other side of the pool I was working and even casting in the same spot I was fishing on Friday, and I'm talking about a fly fisherman who should have known better.   Anyone who has ever fished Boulder Creek knows the pools can be a bit tight to say the least.  The best part, I could have hit him with probably 5 feet of line out plus my 9' leader.  Yeah, that's close!

Despite the cramped fishing conditions in one pool, everything else was wide open for me to fish!  I worked the pools with various small streamers and started to find willing fish.  The larger fish were tight to structure and would ease out from under ice shelves or back eddies to stare at my streamer before vanishing again.  On Friday I finished the day with 4 little browns to hand and all came on the streamer.

Yesterday, despite the cold temperatures, the ice along the creek was continuing to loosen and melt although at a much reduced rate.  I expect this current cold snap to keep the fish sluggish for at least a few days.  Early on, I had some shelf ice that looked like the bank (covered in sand) break under me.  Since I was in hiking boots and jeans, the result was a bit chilly.  Thankfully I stayed warm enough to fish for a good hour or so before calling it quits.  The ice on the stream created some beautiful pictures just waiting for my camera to come out.

The only fish I managed yesterday was a persistent brook trout that hit and/or followed again and again before finally impaling itself on the small streamer.  Gotta love brookies!!!!

In the same pool that I caught the brook trout in I finally found a better than average brown.  It came out to follow my streamer once and that was it.  However, I do know where it lives and will be back to catch it!!!  Streamers will be my weapon of choice unless I stumble across a good hatch...

This winter I really fished streamers almost exclusively in the freestone streams nearby when they were fishable.  On tailwaters I have stuck with the tried and true double nymph rig with mostly small stuff.  Streamers are nice in that they require a more active approach and also the results are so visual.  There's nothing like seeing a charging brown, even if its just a little 8 incher.

I've been tying more and more lately and will probably fish again this next weekend.  The long weekend could turn out to be epic so stay tuned for more!!!

Going Fishing

My yearly total of fishing trips currently sits at an abysmal 2 trips.  Both were a success however so I cannot complain too much.  In addition, it looks like I will manage at least a little time on the water either today or Sunday (or dare I hope for both?!?).  Watch out Boulder Creek trout! I'm coming to fish...

The poll on fishing days for 2013 recently closed.  I am impressed by the goals most of you have set, especially whoever is planning on 200+ days on the water?  Guiding? Fishing for yourself?  Whatever the case it is pretty cool and something most of us can only dream of.  Most of you are in the 30-60 days fishing category.  I'll hope that means most of you are targeting closer to 60 days rather than 30.

My personal target is around 70 days on the water.  I'm busy enough these days that the goal may be overly optimistic but one can always hope.  At times I long for the ability to fish every day or at least spend time on the water.  I'm sure all the guides out there would tell me that guiding isn't that great and just as much of a hassle as any other job, but there are definitely days that it sounds appealing.  Helping someone else fish is better than not being on the water at all!

Killer Soft Hackle

Its not often that I feel this generous, so enjoy it while it lasts.  This is a fly that I don't show off a lot and often go out of my way to avoid showing people.  However, it seriously should be in everyone's box if you fish for trout!  I've caught trout on this pattern in freestones and tailwaters.  It works best as a dropper under a dry fly although you can fish it in a single or double nymph rig as well.  The fly is the Ultra Wire Soft Hackle.  Yeah, I haven't come up with a cool name for it and perhaps someone else ties it and already has a name for it.  While it is similar to other patterns (copper and partridge anyone?), I haven't seen too many people tying and fishing this pattern.

I can tell you that under the right circumstances, this is as good a dropper as you will find anywhere.  Naturally it works best only at certain times.  It is not a miracle fly but excels during both caddis hatches and also when mayfly emergers are on the water.

Tie some up and fish them this spring and see what you think.

Hook: TMC 2487 #14
Thread: Tan 8/0
Body: Copper Ultra Wire (or other color to match the prevalent hatch)
Head: SMALL amount of Hare's Mask dubbing or other buggy dubbing
Hackle: 2 turns of partridge or favorite soft hackle feather.


You can tie these things in a HURRY and, did I say, they flat out fish!!!?!!!

Still Need Snow

The snow situation here in Colorado is still far from being encouraging.  Wyoming is faring a bit better which at least suggests that a Yellowstone trip is still a definite possibility.  However, here in our local area, the snow is still severely lacking.  Here is a picture I took last Saturday.  The lower valleys in Rocky Mountain National Park do not even have any snow.  The peaks have some but nowhere near enough.

While the snow might be meager, the howling wind and blowing snow is keeping the highest elevations locked in winter's embrace.  The following pictures were also taken this past Saturday.  Snow was blowing along and off of the mountain tops by strong northwesterly winds.

A storm is at least possible this upcoming weekend.  We need a lot of moisture this spring to avoid another bad fire season here in Colorado.  While I am ready for warmer weather and lots of open water fishing opportunities, I will be glad to wait for more snow before the warmup starts.

Help Me Out Please

So, I know there are some good sources out there for cheap tungsten beads and was wondering what the best deal (quality + price) is out there?  Anyone have a good source for tungsten beads that you would be willing to share?  I'm not looking to buy in quantities of more than a hundred at a time at most.  Thanks!

Poll Extended!!!

The poll on how much fishing you hope to do this year has been extended.  I know there are lots more readers who have NOT voted yet so please take just a moment to give me some feedback.  Just a couple of mouse clicks is all it takes.  Find the poll over to the right near the top of the page.  You only have a couple more days so do it now!

Moraine Park: After the Fire

For the first time since the Fern Lake Fire burned through Moraine Park, I returned to see what damage occurred.  Not sure what I would find, I was probably more apprehensive than anything else.  The first glimpse went a long ways towards encouraging me.

The meadow is changed, that much is for sure.  The vast majority of the tall grass burned while the fast moving fire rolled through.  A wet spring will help a lot though and the meadow is ready for a lot of new growth.

The fire obviously did not burn hot for very long as it made the run down the valley.  Islands of unburned grasses were to be seen throughout the meadow.  Stream-side willows and other vegetation were a bit charred towards the ground but not dead, at least not in the small area I saw.

Here are a couple of pictures I took.  You can tell that the meadow was burned but it should recover nicely once the growing season returns assuming we have some moisture...

Just Four More Months!!!

Here's hoping for a good hatch this year!!!

Fishermen's Excuses Go Big Time

We all know that fishermen are creative story tellers, not to mention that they come up with some of the most creative excuses.  From the classic "It must have been the moon phase" to more unusual excuses such as "there weren't enough cows standing," fishermen have an excuse.  Occasionally we even take responsibility along the lines of, "I just wasn't on top of my game and couldn't figure the fish out."

Now, in a sure sign that our beloved sport is on the verge of going mainstream in pop culture, the Federal Reserve is borrowing from a classic fisherman's excuse.  In a statement released today, the Federal Reserve says that "Growth in economic activity paused in recent months, in large part because of weather-related disruptions..."

My question for you is this:  Is the weather now an acceptable excuse for a poor fishing day since the excuse has gone mainstream or is it okay to call your fishing buddies out when they attempt to claim that a trip was lame due to weather?

Tying Season

As spring approaches at a now rapid pace, the warm days with hatching bugs and rising trout are not so much a distant hope as a soon to be reality.  Lots of snow is finally falling in the mountains, although still not "enough" (is there ever enough?).  My spring break fishing excursion is looming closer as is an early summer Yellowstone excursion if everything works out the way I hope.  In preparation, things are definitely starting to happen at my tying desk.  I'll be cranking out more and more flies in the coming few weeks with only a couple of fishing trips planned.

Also upcoming here at the Trout Zone is a review of a new book by Randy Kadish, entitled "The Way of the River."  When first contacted about a possible review, I was excited since I enjoyed his last book.  This book was a good read as well and in fact I could hardly put it down once I started reading.  Reading Randy's books always encourage me to contemplate my own life more including both my successes and failures as well as how to continue growing as an individual.

In addition to preparing for the upcoming fishing "season," I also have a tentative trip lined up with Juan Ramirez of Hopper Juan fame.  Yep! The next few weeks should be both productive and enjoyable.

Finally, I'm super excited about a new rod I ordered yesterday.  After years of drooling every time I saw or was able to cast a Helios, I finally bit the bullet and bought one.  I got a smoking deal from Taylor Creek over in Basalt or else I never would have justified spending the money.  For all of you who are always on the lookout for a great deal, I recommend signing up for the Taylor Creek email newsletter.  The deal (or was it a steal?) I got was highlighted in the newsletter and was not available on the website last I checked.  Taylor Creek treats their customers right as well and I have always had positive experiences with them.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to my friend Byron Begley over at Little River Outfitters.  He is working hard on the website and honestly I don't think he stops looking for ways to make it even better.  Right now he is in the middle of a project to completely redo the "Flies" section of the online catalogue.  It is a work in progress but the great photography (for you tiers out there this is a great way to see what the flies you are tying should look like) and new organization is going to be awesome.  The flies are going to be divided into categories based on primary purpose and usage.  There will be Smokies flies for each season as well as warm water patterns and tailwater flies, and don't forget the saltwater selection which is excellent especially considering that LRO is nowhere near the salt.