Teaching Never Stops

As a teacher, having my summers relatively free is a nice bonus.  This does not mean I stop teaching though.  A couple of weekends ago, I went camping with a group of friends near Gunnison.  Fishing was a definite must and one of my friends had been wanting to learn the sport as well.  I told him that I would be glad to teach him so extra rods were packed and the dry fly box was well-stocked in anticipation of finding some brookies.  

The stream was a small one, out of the way, meandering through the willows and over beaver dams.  Some sections were considerably steeper with tight pocket water while others took on the meadow stream nature that I've come to love.  Both brown and brook trout inhabit this stream.  I tied on a streamer to look for the big guys while my buddy John started off with a yellow Neversink Caddis, size 16.  

Since the stream was so small, I knew he would not have to cast very far to catch something.  I gave a short informal lecture on the theory behind fly casting, showed him what he should be doing, then handed him the rod.  His first two casts were slightly errant, but after another quick tip he was throwing the fly right where it needed to go.  A little more advice on what to do when a fish hit, and we started fishing.  

I was catching a few fish here and there when I found a nice open section just above a beaver dam.  The casting area was definitely not as tight and there were fish waiting for a snack as well!  From up above on the trail, I showed John were to fish and how to approach the pool.  Soon he had snuck into position and laid out a nice cast.  A brookie came up to annihilate the dry and the battle was on.  John fought and landed that fish just like a seasoned pro and soon was posing for a picture of his first trout on the fly rod!  

Not to be outdone, I fished my way around some undercut banks and close to log jams hoping for a big brown.  One 14 incher (a really nice fish for this stream) came out but would not commit while my heart nearly burst from the suspense.  Later, I found a willing brown trout in a larger than average run.  A quick picture and I sent it on its way.  

John continued to do well and ended up catching several fish.  His smile showed that he was enjoying this new sport.  I was happy to be back on the water in Colorado after a month away from home and also happy that I still had a few weeks before school started again.  Teaching fly fishing is a lot different from teaching math, but only because it is outside instead of indoors.  There's nothing like being out in nature!!!

Sporadic

Sporadic posts will continue, and as I'm enjoying my summer break I won't apologize too much.  I'm not a very good liar so making excuses will only go so far, and quite frankly I just haven't had the time.  The next two or three weeks will contain a lot more fishing however so I should have some good material for posts.

Also, the famed Trout Mobile has finally been retired. Okay, now that I hear your collective gasps from around the globe, I'm glad we have that little news item out of the way.  Having owned it for 10 years, I was a bit sad to see it go but the time had definitely come for some new wheels.  The old car took me many places that a stock jeep would have been scared to go (almost anyway).  At least in the short term, the new ride will be treated with utmost respect, unlike the old Trout Mobile as seen below overlooking the junction between the Gunnison and the North Fork of the Gunnison...

Tomorrow, I'm taking the new Trout Seeker on its maiden fishing trip.  Details to follow...

The Border

The drive to Denver via I-80 and I-76 is thankfully a bit more interesting than the I-70 route through Kansas.  Following the South Platte River always brings out the amateur history buff in me.  I think of the covered wagons headed west on the Oregon Trail or the first Transcontinental Railroad being built up this river valley.  The disheartening part of the trip is when you drive across the border into Colorado.  Looking north into Nebraska, you can see the lush river bottoms...

Looking south into Colorado, you see the part of the state that accounts for about half of the total area.  Not many people are thinking of this when they think of Colorado...

Winner

The winner from A Clue is Tennswede.  If you will send me an email I will send you some flies in another couple of days!  The picture was taken on Upper Little River, specifically just below campsite #24.

Stay tuned for more chances to win flies! I've been in tying mode as I prepare to assault the Colorado trout streams starting in a few days. It just so happens that I've tied extra of some of my favorite patterns so I'll have more giveaways and contests over the next couple of months.  A glorious month of fishing is ahead before I have to get serious about work again.  Of course, I'll be starting to work on planning for classes but mostly I'll be free to relax for another month.   What a tough life...

Panfish on the Bed

While on the home creeks last week, I discovered some panfish spawning along the banks.  I was intrigued as I watched the largest fish chase off crawdads and smaller fish who were attempting to raid the bed.  Before leaving, I remembered the camera on my side and took a quick video of the action.  If you watch in hi-def and full screen you will probably notice some crawdads on the nest...oh, and the sounds are strictly the background noise of the woods.  Music to my ears!!!

A Clue

Here is a clue as to where we fished yesterday.  Any guesses as to where this is at?  Be specific!!!  I will send 6 of yesterday's hot fly to the first person to correctly identify the exact location.  Guess away!!!

Float Down the River

One of the most peaceful and enjoyable ways to fish larger streams and rivers is to float.  While I enjoy the intimacy of wade fishing the Caney Fork, sometimes it is nice to sit back in a boat and relax.  Last Friday I had plans to meet David Perry to float.  We finalized where to meet the evening before and everything was set.  As before most trips, I spent the evening before furiously tying up a few last midge patterns.

Friday morning I got up and was soon on the road.  A quick stop for breakfast and fuel slowed me down temporarily but before I knew it I was cruising along the river to the takeout.  David and Brent had already dropped off the boat so I waited until David came back to do the shuttle.  We rode together back up to the launch point while catching up and discussing the day's fishing prospects.  We found Brent waiting with the drifter and after arranging fly rods and other gear were soon underway.

I somehow found myself in the front seat but the hot spot to be was in the back.  Before we knew it Brent had caught several trout while I was still looking to get rid of the skunk.  My luck was slow to turn while Brent continued to boat trout at a ridiculous pace that soon landed him on the rower's bench. Changing up to a deeper rig to get down to where the fish were holding, I finally fed a few fish and the day was looking up.

Naturally just being back on the river with friends was a great way to spend my time.  I found it difficult to concentrate on the indicator, instead getting distracted by herons, deer, beavers, and whatever else happened to be in view at any given time.  Still I was catching enough fish to make the day amazing.

The best part of the day was when Brent and I doubled up and David P. was kept busy with both fish in the net at once.  I had to ask for a picture.  In the background you can see Brent is already back at it and trying to catch the next fish.

The one disappointment of the day was the lack of big browns.  We normally see a few monsters but the largest we saw was probably 18 inches or so.  Hopefully we just weren't looking in the right places.  If we don't get too much more rain the river may be at low flows for much of the rest of the summer.  To get in on the good fishing, consider taking a trip with David Perry.  He knows the river well and always seems to crack the code early in the trip to get into fish.

Oh, one more funny picture.  I snapped the picture right as the fish panicked...

Caney!!!

Now that I'm blessed with tailwaters full of large wild trout, I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed fishing on the Caney Fork.  Those little stockers with rubbery fins rubbed raw by the concrete abode they call home for the first portion of their life can provide a lot more fun than I remembered.  My first venture onto the river this year finally happened on Wednesday morning.  Anticipation and excitement woke me up around 5:30.  Not too long after I was on my way.

Driving west through early morning light as the sun slowly edged higher behind me, I had a chance to recall other trips to the river.  I remembered when I first started fishing the river and discovered that the browns in an undisclosed area had a fondness for terrestrials.  Next I remembered that I had not had much luck in that area for many years now.  Past float trips were recalled with equal fondness and before I knew it I was exiting I-40 and rolling past Happy Hollow.  Crowds of early arrivals encouraged me to keep going in my search for fresh water.

The dam was conscientiously checked and also dismissed, again due to crowds.  Finally my car led me over the dam and down to Lancaster.  Only one car was there ahead of me.  I got out and chatted a bit with the two guys getting ready to fish.  Its always a pleasure meeting new people on the river.  I wished them luck as they headed down.  Remembering the forecast high of 96 degrees, I decided to wet wade, something I have rarely if ever done on the Caney unless floating.  Best decision of the day...

I decided to rig up by the water.  Normally I do this so I can first check if there is any obvious hatch situation going on.  Enough trout were dimpling the surface that a dry/dropper rig seemed a logical choice.  My long-time favorite Caney Fork rig has been a Parachute Adams with a midge dropped behind it anywhere from 1-2 feet.  Just like that I was ready to fish!

My casts unfurled so nicely that I even thought to myself, what nice casts today!  I'm rarely if ever conceited, I promise, but you know those days when you find yourself in the zone without even really trying?  Well this was one of them for me.  I haven't fished enough lately so my casting arm was fresh and....oh yeah, this isn't a professional sports report, just a fishing story.

Anyway, so here was my little #16 or #18 Parachute Adams floating high with a midge hanging temptingly below when a little brown trout swam by and noticed breakfast.  That was fish number one. The fish were all up in the riffles so I soon moved there until the sun was on the water.  About the time the sun hit I happened to look upstream.  The view was so beautiful that I just paused and absorbed the scene, until I remembered my camera that is.  What perfectly calm water!

The mist was thick for a while, but as you can see above the sun soon burned it off.  After catching 7-8 of the little stocker browns, I arrived at the stage of I wonder what the fish won't eat?  Several nymphs and streamers were attempted but the fish clearly wanted midges and not much else.  About this time, a boat drifted by, and I got to talk to another angler.  A couple of other fishermen in 2-3 hours of fishing is not bad!

I wandered down the river utilizing a favorite technique for long drifts while wading.  My reward was a fat rainbow that looked pretty healthy!

Getting bored, I decided to head back to the car and explore some more of the river.  Down at Betty's Island it didn't seem as if much was going on but the crowds were still at Happy Hollow, until I realized that there really weren't any crowds.  The number of people actually on the water did not compare to the number of cars in the lot.  This pleasant discovery encouraged me to fish at Happy for a while and I'm glad I did.  In addition to some freshly stocked browns, I also discovered brookies and some more 'bows.  A couple of the browns were a bit larger in the 12"-14" category and fought like fish larger than they were.

By the time I started thinking about home, I had caught more than my fair share of fish.  I was starting to get hungry and thought about the nice air conditioning back home.  That did it and I headed back up to the car.

Tomorrow I'm headed back.  Expect another report.  Next week?  The Smokies, and some smallmouth, and maybe even musky.  Stay tuned for more!!!

Burning

While I am safely here in Tennessee about to go fish the abundance of water, back home in Colorado it is another story.  Extremely dry conditions have set in and wildfires have popped up all over the middle part of the state.  One is causing some concern up in Rocky Mountain National Park while others are burning near Colorado Springs as well as the Royal Gorge.  I understand that fire is part of Nature's toolbox for maintaining healthy environments but it is still difficult to see so I'm glad that I'm away from the state right now.  Until I return I'll be hoping for an early onset of the summer monsoon season.  If past history is any indicator, we are looking at a month of prime burning conditions before wetting rains arrive.  For more information on the fires, Inciweb is a good place to start and currently even the main page of CNN is highlighting the current problems in CO.

After the Storm