Question and Answer with Matt Supinski

A few months ago, I was contacted by the editor of Stackpole Books about doing a review of Matt Supinski's newest book, Selectivity: The Theory and Method of Fly Fishing for Fussy Trout, Salmon, and Steelhead.  As a part of the review process, I decided to do a question and answer session with Matt Supinski.

Today, we finally got together and talked on the phone for probably an hour.  He was a genuinely nice guy to talk to who has a seemingly endless supply of great stories about his journey as a fly fisherman.  The good news is that many of those stories ended up in his new book as he explains the various elements of cracking the Selectivity code.  When he mentioned that brown trout were his favorite fish, I knew I would really appreciate his book a lot.  First of all, I want to thank Matt for taking the time to talk with me.  I'm hoping to get a podcast or something similar up from the interview at some point, but in the meantime, here is what we talked about.

The Basics

Q: Tell us a little about where you are from and about your regular job as a guide and lodge owner.

Matt: I am at the Gray Drake Outfitters and Lodge.  I am the owner and we run a lodge, bed and breakfast, and I am a full time guide that works sometimes 250 days a year on the water, so that is quite consuming.  Since we have trout, steelhead, and salmon, we guide pretty much 12 months out of the year.  I’ve been a hotelier and also went to culinary school and have used that to work as a food and beverage director. 

Originally I was born in Niagara Falls, New York and spent most of my time in western New York fishing the Niagara frontier.  I spent a couple of years in Poland as a boy when my dad moved back there to get his masters degree in Chemical Engineering.  The first chapter of the book has stories of when I was on the farm.  We had a trout stream that ran through it to the Baltic Sea.  We had a trout stream with Atlantic salmon and browns that ran into it.  My job was pretty much to take cows and sheep out to pasture and butcher a couple of chickens for dinner, and then I got to trout fish with my uncle’s Hardy bamboo rod and to fish for Atlantic Salmon.  That was kind of a bonus to living in a communist country at that time. I got kicked out of the school because I wasn’t a good communist.  I was American so they booted me pretty quickly out of there. 

Q: How long have you been fly fishing?

Matt: I’m 56 right now and I’ve been fly fishing since I was 7 years old.  Do the math. It’s been pretty prolific, and I only took jobs where I had within an hour or two quick access to trout streams. My biggest stint was in Washington, D.C., at the Sheraton Washington, etc., but the Pennsylvania spring creeks were only an hour and a half from my Georgetown Condo, and so that was key to making sure I was a happy boy.  I had to have trout or salmon within an hour and a half of my working environment and so that was critical.

Q: You have had the opportunity to fish in some amazing destinations around the world.  Do you have one specific favorite?  If so, tell us about what makes it so special.

Matt: I’m a big fan of Montana spring creeks, because I just love the Absaroka Mountains and just the general feel for that whole Paradise Valley area. Being in the hotel business, I would just take a month off and go fish Nelson’s, Armstrong’s and Depuy’s and I just love spring creek trout because they kick my butt. 

The stream we had in Poland was a kind of limestone spring creek so I got used to that type of crystal clear wild brown trout water.  It was sort of ingrained in me so that’s why I like spring creeks so much.  When I spent 10 years in D.C. I got to fish Pennsylvania a lot, and now we live on a tailwater.  But here’s the hard part, you just asked me a big whammy question; it’s tough. I love tailwaters, I love your Clinch River down there, the Holston, it all fascinates me.  I like to find a trout that will kick my ass and try to find where the toughest places are.  Silver Creek is another one. It taunts me because it is tough to catch fish there.  If I started catching a bunch of fish I would probably quit.  Always looking for the chase is really cool.

Q: If time and money were no consideration, what species of fish would you prefer to chase?

Matt: You know, I’m a trout guy, a bum by heart. That is at the core of our religion, and you constantly keep coming back to trout.  People ask how could you go back to fishing little eight inch brook trout on the Rapidan in Virginia or something, and I say it’s because it is so much fun to see a little trout come up and give you a refusal.   Trout is really what it’s all about and that is why most of Selectivity, three quarters probably, is really into the trout aspect.  Trout is always, was always, my passion.  I’m a trout bum.

On Selectivity: The Theory and Method of Fly Fishing for Fussy Trout, Salmon, and Steelhead

Q: As a fly fisherman who appreciates fooling particularly difficult fish, the title of your new book really resonated with me when I first heard about it.  Most of us remember one of the first times everything “clicked” on a particularly difficult fish and came together just right.  Do you have a particularly memorable fish from early in your career that still stands out as a major learning moment for you?  Tell us about that fish and what you learned.

Matt: Yeah, if you go into the book, there is a section on the garbage feeder.  It is like a two page section on cracking the code of the garbage feeder.  The fish was a thick, 24 inch wild rainbow trout on the Big Delaware River, which we fish a lot because my mother-in-law has a place up on the Neversink River in the Catskills maybe 50 minutes away from the Delaware.

I spent 7 hours on that one fish that was a rod length and a half away from me and feeding on everything including Blue-winged Olives from #18s to #26s, Heptagenia Sulfurs, regular Sulfurs, Invarias, Rotundas, the occasional Isonychia, occasional ant, occasional beetle, occasional stick, occasional twig.  The thing tortured me for 7 hours.  I must have made 50 fly changes. I went from 6x to 7x, I finally used my memory to bring me back to a #20 hot orange ant that used to fool fish for me on the Yellow Breeches at Allenberry Resort. There is a big flat section of river there that has some really cautious wild brown trout and at times they’re feeding on little #32 midges and little white midges and are almost impossible to catch.  The only thing that would really fool these fish was a little #20 bright orange ant with grizzly hackle.  I really gave this wild rainbow everything in the world to look at and was at my last ditch effort.  

My wife was ready to bail.  She was sitting in a lawn chair.  I don’t think we were married then.  I think she was ready to break up with me.  I was this lunatic spending seven hours on one trout. 

I put this hot orange ant on and went down to 7x.  The fish took it and took it about 200 yards downstream I finally landed it and it was like the biggest prize you ever have.  So it is a combination of the selective/reflective extremely, I call it the ultra selective/reflective fish, and then all of a sudden, a perchance flashback to something that worked for me in the past, years ago, just transcended itself to that experience even though there were no orange ants around.  This fish pretty much had all the pick of mayflies and terrestrials that he could possibly look at. 

That cracking the code of the garbage feeder, which is a two page spread in the middle of the book, if you summed up Selectivity, that episode sums it up.  Most of your selectivity issues or problems or issues, you always are trying to find closure.  Closure is so important to a trout stream, because we always come back after a day where we get our asses kicked by fish and we’re trying to find closure.  So we go to the vise and we try to tie the pattern a little bit differently and we think maybe I should use 6x or 7x or 8x and I needed closure. 

So the next day I got a bucket and with no fishing rod, I went down to the river and started digging for ants.  Why the hell did this sophisticated, wild rainbow, the most intelligent fish on the planet on the Big Delaware take a hot orange ant, which didn’t really imitate anything.  It didn’t make any sense to me.  I was actually kind of disgusted that he took the ant.  I was almost disappointed even though I caught the fish.  I dug up ants, and I found black ants, and brown ants, and I found a couple of mahogany ants that were a little bit bigger, and I took them back to my cottage and put the mahogany ants and brown ants in water, and guess what color they turned the next day? 

Me: Did they turn orange? 

Matt: The mahogany ones turned a bright orange, so there was the closure.  Was it selectivity? Yeah, but I think it was probably selective/reflective in overdrive. These trout have PhDs and then some.  By September each year they’ve seen everything and are next to impossible to catch which is why I spent so much time on that puppy.  These wild rainbows were brought to the Delaware back in 1870s and are so intelligent they make brown trout look stupid.  It’s usually kind of the opposite and rainbow trout are stupid compared to brown trout.  That sums up Selectivity.

Q: When did the idea for this book first occur to you and how long have you been actively working on it?

Matt: I think I’ve really been working on it since the ‘80s.  It took about 4-5 years to write it and edit it.  I also had the fortune of fishing with two very powerful mentors.  In Pennsylvania, I got to meet Vince Marinaro who wrote In the Ring of the Rise and The Modern Dry-Fly Code, and I got the pleasure of buying Vince’s friendship.  At the time he had cancer and he hated everybody.  He hated Trout Unlimited people, he hated everybody, and he was a curmudgeon, and he only fished the Letort when nobody was around. He was sort of this elusive ghost I was trying to chase.  He kept calling me the damn yuppie from D.C. driving around in BMWs.  He hated us D.C. yuppies coming to his limestone country. 

I bought my way with really fine Italian wines and smoked salmon from Scotland since I was the food and beverage director.  Once I offered him a plate as a gift, he took me under his wing and showed me a lot about midging and back eddies and the very selective/reflective trout of the Letort. So that started my passion for this crazy #28 midge garbage, and then, coincidentally, I moved to Michigan to take a hotel job.  Who do I run into on the river but Carl Richards, who with Doug Swisher wrote Selective Trout. So Carl was a good friend of mine for many years and together we fished the very intricate caddis hatches we have on this river.  It is kind of ironic that it started at a young age, and then I had the opportunity to fish with Vince Marinaro, and then I wind up fishing with the guy that wrote Selective Trout.  It was kind of like destiny that it was meant for me to write Selectivity because it just all came into place.  Carl kept saying about Selective Trout that it was fascinating, but at the same time it was confusing for people because it was introducing emergers and spinners and not normal nomenclature that people would normally use.  He hoped that someone would take that concept and expand on it further as fish became more educated and more selective.  So, it was sort of manifest destiny that I wrote this book because of my background.

Q: What is the most important advice you could give someone trying to figure out a tough fish?

Matt: Two things, patience and observation, are the most critical things. Frustration tends to dampen the whole experience.  That’s what happens to 90% of people, they get so frustrated that they go for something easy like bluegill and bass fishing, which I have nothing against by the way, but it’s so easy.  If I started getting big numbers of fish I would probably give up on it because it is too easy.  I think patience and observation and noticing little tiny details are the two things we lack today.  We’re so, with I-phones and instant media and gratification, we’re constantly marching and marching in quest of something and we don’t slow down and smell the roses or watch the trout. There are three types of selective phases and if you understand the types of phases that they’re in, you can catch them.  It is a constant observation and live knowledge progression that takes over.

Q: Over the years, I’ve heard many discussions on fussy trout.  Usually the discussion centers around several different arguments, and two of the more common arguments involve whether color or size is more important when matching the prevailing hatch or food available to the fish.  Do you want to take a side on this argument?  Why?

Matt: Oh yeah, absolutely.  In the selective/reflective chapter, I talk about the all systems go checklist.  I have the beautiful photography of Jason Jagger from Colorado who did some of the most amazing close-up photography of trout inspecting flies.  Vince Marinaro started that in In the Ring of the Rise.  He was the first to come along with that.  As far as color, there’s two schools.  There are the agnostics, but then there are the believers.  In that checklist, I say the first thing is the refractive window, looking at the wings and tails coming through, the profile.  The second thing is the body size and the banding of the body.  There are definite segmentations on mayflies and those are flush in the film.  Third is color, because they can see color.  Fish have very finely tuned eyes, especially in shallower rivers. They can see translucency, hue, and color.  I talk very specifically about these three things and size. The final one I talk about is movement.  Mayflies are not always drag free, little tails are twitching and the drying the wings.  Caddis are bouncing around all over the place and also stoneflies.  Color is not folklore like many people say, and I’m a believer in it.  Catch and release is what fuels this whole selective thing.  The trout are different today than when Marinaro and Richards and all those guys wrote because of the tremendous pressure.  These are the sorts of things that fuel that whole process.

Q: Obviously, as the author of a book called Selectivity, you recognize the ability of fish to become extremely discerning in their feeding habits.  I have heard many people argue that fish have tiny brains and are not capable of becoming as picky as we give them credit for, further arguing that some other factor, such as the weather, must be to blame when fish won’t eat.  How do you respond to that mentality?

Matt: I basically just address it and say, you know what? You can take your Adams and your 4x or 5x tippet and catch a trout on occasion. You’ll be very happy that you fooled a trout, but you’re going to get your butt in situations be totally humbled and embarrassed unless you adapt your thinking to understand that these fish are very innately behaviorally intelligent or whatever you want to call them.  Each fish has a life survival strategy.  You’re going to get your butt smoked someday and you’re going to come back and take a look at Selectivity and say “Hey maybe I should be paying attention to this.” The problem is that these people sit in their comfort zones.  You better be prepared for these situations because it is going to embarrass you and humble you.

On being a widely published author

Q: You have published numerous articles and several books as well.  What is the best part of being an author?

Matt: The best part of being an author is that it forces you to understand your fish a lot more, and it challenges you always to write something refreshing and exciting and new.  If I didn’t get a wow out of it myself I don’t want to publish it.  There is a lot of junk I don’t read anymore because it doesn’t get me excited.  If I can’t get excited I have no interest in it.  I follow the tune of my own drummer, so I set my standards for myself first and don’t look at what other people are doing.

Q: Is there any downside to being an author?

Matt: People think that you’re walking around in a tweed coat, smoking a pipe, sitting by a fireplace drinking a scotch or cognac.  People think you are constantly pontificating about yourself.  They think you're some kind of holy god.  People are afraid of you, but I’m just a normal dude wanting to make it through the day, stick a few fish, get a few shots, and make it to happy hour.  So that’s the key to life’s success.  As a guide, if I can do that, and make a client happy and teach them something new, that’s what I try to do.  Authors tend to be regular Joes, but they tend to be stuck in a category of upper echelon by other people.

Q: The past several years, print versions of fly fishing magazines (and really most magazines) have been having a tough time selling.  At least some of that is because of the availability of information and entertainment on the Internet.  As an author, is it becoming easier or more difficult to get articles published in magazines?  Why?

Matt: Speaking for myself, I’ve been blessed with the fact that I’ve never had a problem getting publishing.  The thing I see today which is lacking is that magazines are so cramped for space because of advertising.    Advertising is hurting this whole great industry.  They make articles so short now that people lose interest in the articles.  I used to submit articles with 10,000 words because my enthusiasm took over.  We need to get back in touch with telling stories.  I got a review just today from another blog or something, and he was very fascinated by my book because I took the how-to stuff and made it anecdotal and told a story. The problem with magazines is you don’t have enough space to personalize them.  So the beauty of blogs is that you can really go on and tell a story.  You have the space to do it, the time to share more experiences and it’s not about page and size.  I think that’s what hurt the industry.  You look at magazines from years ago and they are like volumes and now they are barely a pamphlet.  I’m trying to convince some of these editors that you have to change your focus because you are boring people, but bloggers are going to continue to be a very powerful tool because you have the space and time.

Q: Do you see blogs completely edging out magazines?  How does the future of hardcopy magazines look from someone who has been at this game a while?

Matt: That is very interesting.  I think you are going to always have the written word in magazines because there’s nothing like getting a magazine and sitting by the fire or reading a meaty book.  Now, you can take your Kindle or iPad and get just as meaty.  There is no question that the Internet has put a major damper on it.  There’s a difference though.  If you are sitting outside by the pool or the ocean, from a practical standpoint I think books and paper will always be there.  But by economics, I think there will be some challenging times, and I think we are already experiencing that.

Atlantic Salmon

Q: Based on a quick scan of your new book, fishing for Atlantic salmon is obviously a passion of yours.  However, Atlantic Salmon are not a species you just head over to your local river to target and in fact take a considerable investment in gear and travel expenses to get started.  Furthermore, they are notorious for being difficult to induce to take a fly.  What got you into the Atlantic salmon game in the first place?  What keeps you going back?

Matt: What keeps me going back is ‘A’ they are one of the most beautiful fish in the world, and ‘B’ they live in some of the most beautiful places in the world.  They think a lot and are top water oriented.  Most of my Atlantic Salmon fishing is dry fly fishing.  Also, you’re dealing with a fish that doesn’t need to eat.  I think most selective trout fishermen will eventually get into Atlantic Salmon fishing.  That thrill to hook that one fish in three days is such a religious experience.  Why they take a floating bomber for really no reason is really cool.  They are just sophisticated brown trout.   You hook a 25 pound Atlantic Salmon on a dry fly and the rush you get is just mind-boggling.

Q: Many people have stories of fishing for a long time before getting that first Salmon.  Did you have that type of entry into Salmon fishing or did you experience beginner’s luck?

Matt: It took like two years before I landed that first fish.  I hooked one on the second day but lost it when I put my hand on the line like I was fighting a trout.  I think it is so cool that you can put a dry fly 15 feet above the fish in a pool but if you put a streamer on its nose it will run away from it. They’re kind of funky fish.  They are constantly playing with your mind. That is what selectivity is, one giant mind game that you eventually jump into and play along with the fish.

Q: If you were trying to convince someone to give fishing for Atlantic salmon a shot, what would you tell him or her?

Matt: Come with an open mind, read as much as you can about the fish.  Go with one of the best guides you can get.  Try to hire the most seasoned older gentleman you can find who has been doing it for decades and decades.  These guys are a fountain full of knowledge about Atlantic Salmon.   There are days where you just have to sit and watch them.  Go with a reputable lodge that has a tradition of introducing people to it.  Soak up as much knowledge as you can from your guides.  It is definitely a mentorship.  You need a slow, mentoring hand at that sport.

Out of Curiosity

Q: As a Tennessee boy I recognize that we have a lot of excellent but underutilized fisheries.  If trout is your game, the South Holston tailwater boasts incredible Sulphur and BWO mayfly hatches and thus grows some very large brown trout.  Several other fine tailwaters consistently produce lots of quality trout.  If you enjoy smallmouth bass fishing, we have numerous rivers including the Holston that routinely put out bass over 20”.  Of course, the Great Smoky Mountains offers the chance to chase wild trout in freestone streams and offers everything from brown trout to 30” in the lower elevations to native brook trout up high.  The fishing for striped bass can be excellent as well.  Recently, fishing for musky has been taking off here as well.  So, have you done much fishing in Tennessee?  If so, tell us a little about where and what you thought of it.

Matt: I fished the Clinch River back in the ‘90s.  Carl Richards was a big fan of the Clinch. He loved it.  In fact, before he died, he spent a lot of time fishing the Holston and Clinch and the tremendous sulfur hatches.  I’m really jealous about your fisheries down there.  I hope to spend more time down there.  You’ve got it all.  You’ve got some beautiful tailwaters with some monster brown trout.  Brown trout are my number one favorite fish. I love Salmo Trutta.  They’re so beautiful, elusive and beguiling, they love dry flies and so surface oriented. You’ve got the Clinch, the Holston and you’ve got these mountain freestone streams that are so gorgeous.  You have natural beauty there that we don’t have in Michigan but you have great diversity of fishing down there.  You have selective trout, selective mountain freestone trout, selective tailwater trout, you have smallmouth and all kinds of warm water stuff.  You have a pretty special area.  I plan on spending more time on the Holston and Clinch River area because there are some monster brown trout down there.  It is definitely on my bucket list to spend more time down there, plus you have friendly people and good food.  You really have it really good down there.

Feedback Requested

Please note that while the site is live, I am NOT CURRENTLY BOOKING.  As soon as that changes I will pass on the information.  Please check out the guide side of this blog, Trout Zone Anglers.  I'm still in the setup phase of the business, but I would greatly appreciate any feedback, positive or otherwise.  Thank you!

Weekend Fishing Prospects

Another weekend is upon us and I'm sure there are plenty of people everywhere looking to get out and fish a bit.  The football playoffs will help limit crowds although the weather will also play a part to accomplish the same goal.  The best temperatures we expect over the next week look to happen on Monday.  With long term forecasts suggesting that highs after Monday will struggle to get above freezing, this weekend will be your best opportunity to get out and catch some trout.

In the Smokies, expect the cold weather to keep things tough but not impossible.  The larger browns and rainbows will still be looking to eat.  Most days will produce the best fishing after the sun has had a chance to nudge the water temperatures even a degree or two.  The actual temperature is not as important as the temperature's general direction.  The big browns will probably be willing to chase if you feel like tossing streamers.  Use heavy tippet and hold on.  These days will feature long hours and your reward may only be one fish.  When that fish has the chance to be over twenty inches it makes it all worth your time.

I'm hoping to be out fishing on Sunday chasing either trout or maybe even musky.  Hopefully there will be a report and pictures to follow soon!

First Fish of 2014

What a great way to start the year! Even though I still have boxes and stuff scattered all around from my move back to TN, I knew that I couldn't wait on visiting the Smokies any longer.  After an early morning, I made it to Townsend and stopped for a while at Little River Outfitters to chat with Byron and Daniel.  As always we had a great time talking about a little of everything.  Eventually the pull of the streams was too strong, and I headed out of town and into the Park.

Driving slowly up Little River, I stopped at several likely pools.  At one stop, I spotted a nice 18" brown sitting right by the bank.  After several casts to judge the drift, I got a good one in there and the fish came over for a look.  Thinking it had taken the fly, I set the hook.  The fish moved back the other direction casually and would not be fooled into a second look.  Oh well!

Several times, fish came charging out to inspect my large offerings, but each time refused at the last second.  I was beginning to think that my day would be done without catching anything, and of course sometimes that does happen this time of year when you are chasing big fish.

I was running low on water by this time with both Nalgene bottles almost empty.  A quick run up to a good spring seemed like the logical solution and would enable me to check out Middle Prong.  The very first hole I hit had a great surprise.  As I was slowly working the pool, a fish came up and ate.  I just barely felt the soft hit but set the hook and was soon staring in surprise at a very nice rainbow of about 14 inches.  Probably it had swam up from the stocked water in Townsend, but it looked healthy and even wild so I'm not entirely certain.

Later, after filling up on water, I was working my way back downstream and stopped at a very nice pool that I know holds good fish on occasion.  The rain was falling by this time and it was getting close to sunset.  The low light conditions were perfect for brown trout to be out hunting.  I worked the top half of the pool thoroughly and then moved down to the back.  Pitching a careful cast out between two trees, I started my retrieve when I saw the golden flash.  Feeling nothing, I continued the retrieve.  On the second pass, the fish made a solid grab.  After a solid battle, I was holding my first Smokies brown trout of 2014, a beautiful 17 inch fish.  Because of the rain, my camera was staying dry in the car, but I still have my memories which sometimes are better.

That fish was another first for me as well: it was the first brown trout I've caught on Middle Prong.  I've seen plenty of them but never actually caught one until this trip.  Not a bad way to start the year and not a bad first brown for me on Middle Prong!

Smokies Interlude

Part of my plans for Christmas break naturally involved fishing.  However, most of the break was planned for me with family time taking precedence over everything else.  The one small trip I allowed myself was a one day interlude to the rest of my vacation.  Even though conditions were not ideal, I still was happy to visit the Smokies.

Last Thursday, I finalized plans to meet my friend Travis in the Park.  My goal was to get there early, before the sun was on the water, and throw streamers for a while.  He would join me later.  As it turned out, he had the best game plan.  The fish really did not become active until later in the morning as the sun warmed the water just a bit.  Fish will feed in very cold water so it can still be worth getting out during the cold months, contrary to popular opinion.  However, the water temperature's direction is very important.  Even a small increase in water temps can get the trout moving around and active.  The sun warmed the water just enough that we started to see fish up and moving around.

One pool in particular has a good population of trout that are normally willing to eat a well-presented fly.  We all rigged up with nymphs and spread out along the stream.  I worked my way up a small side channel while my friends Travis and Buzz thoroughly worked the pool.

After fishing my little stretch of water, I moved back down to discover that, other than small rainbows, they had not had much catching going on.  Since I had not caught anything, small rainbows sounded better than nothing.  I attached a strike indicator and started working the pool.  A few drifts later the indicator dove, and I found a small rainbow on the end of my line!

There's nothing like getting that first fish out of the way.  Able to relax since the skunk was no longer a possibility, I tossed the double nymph rig a bit longer before changing back to a streamer.  In the winter, when the streams are so cold, I prefer the faster paced method of fishing streamers as opposed to staring at an indicator while my fingers freeze.

Continuing upstream, I found a pool that I know holds some nice fish but one that I've never had much luck in.  This trip would end that.  Just a few casts into my systematic search for trout, a flash indicated a brown in hot pursuit.  The fish abruptly turned away, but I thought I might still have a chance.  Two casts later the fish rose off the bottom again and hammered the streamer.  The heavy tippet allowed me to keep the fight short.  Soon I was releasing the brown back to his pool.  Not a bad last trout for 2013!

Later, I headed in to Townsend for lunch and to stop by and see the crew at Little River Outfitters.  After chatting with Daniel for a while and looking at all the remodeling changes that have been happening, I stumbled upon the fly tying clearance bin.  This has been and, after this trip, continues to be a huge drain on my finances.  I mean, who can pass up a great deal?  I hit the jackpot on this trip when I found a LOT of tiny hooks on sale, perfect for midge and BWO patterns.  I'll be tying small flies in anticipation of the tailwater fishing this upcoming year.  If you tie and stop by LRO, make sure you check out the sales bin.  Your wallet might not appreciate it but think of all the money you will save with some of the super deals you can find there!

Winter Stocked Trout

Tennessee, as do many states, has a winter trout stocking program to provide trout fishing for people who would normally not have the opportunity to fish for trout because of their lack of proximity to cold-water streams.  A couple of days ago, I made it to our local fishing hole at Cumberland Mountain State Park.  Byrd Lake is stocked every winter.  My preference is to fish it in the spring once the fish have had a couple of months to grow (and color up a bit) but even now the trout can provide an hour or two of entertainment close to home.

Fishing can be good both in the lake and in the stream above and below the lake.  I enjoy fishing the stream below the lake as it is a very short walk compared to the jaunt required to get above the lake.  The fish are small but generally eager.  As fresh stockers, the fish won't require your fly fishing Ph.D. nor your midge box.  Instead, a few simple wet flies will generally suffice.  My favorite flies are Wooly Buggers and Simi Seal Leeches, preferably with a bead head.  I fish them on the swing most of the time although occasionally dead drifting works as well.

If you are in the area and want to get out, try fishing at Cumberland Mountain State Park.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how good these fish look considering they are fresh stockers.

And if you decide to go, here is a tip for you: find my favorite stump.  Just be careful casting as the trees nearby are hungry for flies...

Merry Christmas

I want to wish each and every one of you who spend time reading the Trout Zone a Merry Christmas. Thank you for your support over the years and for taking the time to read my ramblings.  Here's wishing each of you many days on the water and lots of big fish in 2014!!!

Awesome Present

So this last week wrapped up my time as a teacher, at least so it would seem for now.  The way things are looking, I'll be teaching again in a couple of months but in a different way.  Unless something major changes, I will be offering guide services in Tennessee including in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Looking back, being a teacher has some benefits, at least if you are a regular classroom teacher.

On the last day of school, students usually bring cards and small presents to the teachers.  This year, one of my students brought a large box with my name on it.  I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.  Upon opening it, I found what is one of the best presents I have ever received.

Catherine McGrath Photograph

For those of you that cannot see so well, that reads "The Big BOBBER Floating Cooler."  It has a place to attach a rope or something.  Now, floating down the river in the summer will be so much more awesome.  Imagine all the comments I'll get floating along with my giant bobber.  "Are there really fish that big in here?, or maybe "Is it safe to swim in here?"  I think I'm going to have some fun with this one.  Oh yeah, and it will keep the drinks cool while I'm working hard to catch all those fish...

Still Some Left

After the recent arctic outbreak here in Colorado, I'm sure that most people don't want to be reminded of how good they could have it.  You know, those nice fall days where the colors are peaking but the daytime temperatures are still reasonable...?  Or maybe you will think of spring with its increasing BWO hatches and hungry trout.  Anyway, whatever it is, I discovered I still have some fall pictures left, quite a lot of them actually.  So here are a few more of my favorites from back in October.

The Flatirons after an early season snow shower

Nature's Canvass in the upper Crystal River Valley

County Rd. 12 approaching Kebbler Pass

Marcellina Mountain

Aspen near Kebbler Pass

Fire Tiger PB&J

Think this might move some big predatory browns?  Try the PB&J in fire tiger colors and let me know if it works...

Cool Down

As November gave way to December, there were still some great fishing opportunities to be had locally.  Then it cooled off just a little.  From highs in the 50s and even 60s, we are now going to be lucky to get to 10 or so above zero.  The low temperatures last night were well below zero.  As you can imagine, open water is going to be closing quickly now.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I made a trip over to El Dorado Canyon to find some solitude.  A recent snowstorm had both coated the stream banks and chased away other anglers.  I'm just fine with that.  If it takes a cool down to get some water to myself so be it.  Rocks were already gaining ice caps, and this was before our recent plunge into the deep freeze.

The snow on the plains had barely been a couple of inches.  In the canyon it had piled higher though, up to 5 or 6 inches.  Scrambling up and down the steep stream banks was an adventure but I just took things slow and made sure to not take any serious falls.  This included NOT wearing waders, but instead just wearing hiking boots.  Long ago, it became obvious that wading boots encourage me to take risks that I shouldn't even be considering.  My solution now is to just stay out of the water.  Yes, there is less water I can reach, but it also forces me to creatively improve my casting as well as try new methods.  I tend to fish streamers a lot more when I'm stuck on the bank which isn't too bad of a trade off if you ask me.

Anyway, as I walked up the access road and stared almost straight down to the stream, the thought of scrambling down was a bit frightening.  Eventually, I was almost to the top of the steepest stretch before I found a decent path down to the water.  Here, the danger factor was in the "broken leg" range if I fell instead of "likely death."  Oh well, surely I could drag myself with my hands out of the canyon.  I'm glad I snuck down where I did.  The browns were small but willing.  Getting around the banks was a bit tricky, but I navigated enough stream to feel that the scramble down had been worth it.

When I discovered the road was now much easier to get to, I decided to jump out and head back down the canyon.  Eventually I found myself fishing a hole near the car as the sun started to sink below the horizon.  Already shaded by the clouds and canyon walls, the stream was becoming even darker.  Finally, as the temperature was rapidly dropping, one last nice brown was eager to eat.  A quick picture, and the fish was back in the water, and I was headed to the warmth of my car.

Finding the Rhythm

One of the highlights of fall fishing, at least for me, is finding reliable emergences of Blue-winged Olives.  Back in Tennessee, the small mayflies would show up on occasion, but here in Colorado it is not an if or a when but rather a given.  The little BWOs are so reliable on some waters that you can tell when the hatch is about to start based on when all the fishermen show up.  In other places, the hatch is a guarantee, but the timing might be a bit more unpredictable.

My first memory of hitting this hatch in Colorado is from Clear Creek last September.  The little browns were rising with abandon in the shaded pool where the stream hugged the cliff on the south bank.  Every now and again, a larger specimen would rise, leaving a subtle rise that was clearly the work of a more experienced trout than most of the splashy efforts I was seeing.  I fished a little Sparkle Dun, a #18 if my memory is correct, and the trout would eat if I showed them a clean drift.

Last spring, one particularly drizzly day found me torn between the BWOs and throwing streamers.  Most people who know me can guess that streamers won.  I'm still not sure whether or not that was the right choice.  Every single pool had numerous fish rising to bugs struggling to get off the water into the chilly mountain air.  The meadow stream eventually yielded a fine brown to my streamer, but I still wonder how the day would have been if I had fished a BWO the whole time.

Most recently, on a trip to the Arkansas River tailwater in Pueblo, I stumbled into one of the more epic hatches I've been blessed to fish.  Deciding to put my Colorado State Parks sticker to good use, I parked at the Valco parking lot.  An early morning departure had me rigging up in air temperatures that had just edged above the freezing point.  A fleece kept me warm while I started working my way down the river to explore new water.  The number of fishermen out was impressive, but finally I started to find water I could call my own.

Deep water nymphing was turning up very few fish, and I began to wonder if the decision to get up ridiculously early and drive all the way to Pueblo was a sound one.  The occasional tug on the line from small to average stockers was not really helping my mindset.  Once it warmed up, my mood gradually improved however.  I stumbled upon a family of deer in the brush along the river and was reminded to look for the little things that make a trip great.  It wasn't before I had finally wandered down close to the bridge that I noticed a few fish rising in the slack water along the far bank.

Refusing to acknowledge the possibility that it was time to change tactics, I stumbled on down the river.  Crossing at a point of shallow riffles to search for that deep run that I just knew had to exist and would be loaded with big trout, I saw a few BWO duns floating along.  That's what they were eating back there.  Still stubborn, I found a pool perfectly suited to my nymph rig.  Running the flies through time after time, I saw a few rise rings just downstream, then another a bit closer.  Not wishing to ignore the obvious for too long, I walked a few yards down to a nice long flat with several rising trout.

Digging through my fly boxes, I chose a #20 Parachute BWO with a hi-vis post that I tied a few months ago.  Extending my leader to end in 6x tippet, I was now ready to go head-to-head with these annoying trout.  Since when does any self-respecting trout ignore my delicious sub-surface offering of midges and BWO nymphs anyway?  After a few casts that did not produce a hit, I paused to observe.  Suddenly it was obvious:  the fish were rising in a consistent rhythm.  Somehow I was drifting my fly past in between each rise.

I waited for a trout to rise, then waited for the next rise.  Finding the rhythm, I waited until just before  the next rise and then made the cast.  The little fly floated for all of 3 feet before a chunky rainbow nailed it.  The next couple of hours proceeded about the same until I started to get hungry.

Wandering back upstream, I came across the same little flat where I initially spotted rising fish.  A huge wake from the back indicated that I had moved just a little too quickly for at least one large rainbow's liking.  Slowing things down, I decided to retie.  I had lost the Parachute pattern some time before.  Several other patterns had fooled trout, but I wanted something extra for the large risers I was now stalking.  A #20 Comparadun seemed appropriate.  Testing the knot and checking the drag was the last step before beginning to cast.

Several casts later, another wake quickly exited the exposed shallows.  Slow down, find the rhythm.  Refocused, I waited.  There, right against the bank.  The drift was particularly difficult since I was casting 35 feet across 2 different current seams and trying to drift the fly in the calm water outside the last current seam.  Again and again I expected to spook the trout, but somehow luck was on my side, and it just moved up a couple of feet before rising again.  Finally, the stars aligned.  The fly dropped just outside the main current, drifted a foot and a half, and was inhaled.  Six more inches and it would have started to drag.  Knowing my luck had turned gave me more confidence.  The beautiful 14 inch fish was not the owner of one of the large heads I had been watching another 20 feet upstream.

Releasing the fish, I again paused and observed.  Two large trout, the kind that are big enough to get your pulse racing, were rising a good 45 feet up and across.  To get a good drift, I took 2 steps forward...and saw yet another wake zigzagging frantically away.  One more chance.  Finding the rhythm, I waited for the trout to rise once more, paused, then made one solid backcast before sending the fly on its way.  The fish ate a natural 6 inches to the left of my fly.  After a short pause to avoid spooking the fish, I lifted the line off the water, bought time with two false casts, and presented the fly again.  This time the fish rose a foot below my fly.  This went on for probably 30 casts.  Every cast I expected to spook the fish, but apparently it was a day for fishing miracles.

Finally, the fly settled in 12 inches above the fish.  My adrenaline shot through the roof as that big head I had been watching slowly appeared below my fly.  As I lifted the rod, I knew that this trout was mine to lose.  The fish was smart, but it was also stuck on that shallow flat.  Once, it made a heart-stopping run towards the fast riffles below, but somehow I got its head turned.  When I finally slipped the net under the fish my day was complete.  I released the gorgeous rainbow trout after getting a good picture, cradling it gently until it slipped off to battle another day.

Continuing upstream, I discovered that fishermen had been fishing hard with nymph rigs the whole day.  The bugs only made it another 75 yards or so above that last hole.  Sometimes, a fishing day's success is measured strictly on whether you go upstream or downstream.  Thankfully, I went downstream...

Stop. Relax.

While life as I know it is almost over, I'm sure that whatever is waiting around the corner will be great and perhaps even better than what I'm enjoying now.  For those that are already lost, read this prior post to get brought up to speed.

While the current job situation is still murky at best, I've discovered that good things can come from murky waters and large trout too.  Instead of sitting at home and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to get out and sample what Colorado has to offer in the fishing department.  It appears increasingly likely that I won't have that privilege soon so I have to enjoy the experience while it lasts.  In fact, I've sampled a fair amount lately and can report the following: El Dorado Canyon is awesome to fish in the snow, Clear Creek is getting getting icy, South Boulder Creek is fishing great just below Gross Reservoir, the Big Thompson does still have fish in the upper canyon at least, and the dry fly fishing on the Arkansas tailwater in Pueblo is phenomenal right now.

Yep, when life gets tough you just have to stop, leave all the stress behind, and relax.  I'm not very good at the relaxing part, and I suspect there's a strong connection between fishing and my stress levels.  Why else would I keep going back when things look bleak?  At the very least, I can report that fishing does successfully keep my mind off of the lack of a job come January 1.

So, things are looking up, if only because I've been blessed to spend a lot of time out on the water.  I'm excited to see where the next chapter in life takes me.  I'm confident that God has a plan even if I am still searching for it.  Until I discover it, I'll just have to stop and relax.

Not My Plans

We can plan, but the ability to change direction is crucial.  Yesterday, I found out that my school will be downsizing due to budget cuts.  Along with two friends, I was on the list of cuts to be made.  Right now I have no idea where I will end up.  Teaching is a lot of fun and very rewarding, but at this point I may end up heading in a different direction.  I may end up back in Tennessee and if I do I'll probably do some part-time guiding at least to help make ends meet for a while.  So, basically, while this is not my plans, I'm ready for a new adventure and new challenge.  Something in the fly fishing industry would be pretty cool but right now the best I'm hoping for is perhaps that bit of guiding I already mentioned.  However, if anyone has any information on job openings I'm all ears.  As things are now pretty uncertain and hectic, I will not be posting as much.  Please know I'm doing great and once I have a chance to get out on the water I'll still be providing the fishing reports and information that you are used to seeing here.  This too shall pass but in the meantime your thoughts and prayers would be much appreciated.  Thank you!

Not Much Color

I'm looking out my window and noticing that it looks suspiciously like winter outside.  The leaves are pretty much gone and the grass is dead.  There's just not much color left other than the crisp blue sky.  Yesterday, in an hour or so on Boulder Creek, I noticed that the fish have moved into winter mode for the most part.  That doesn't mean that aren't eating, just that the water is super clear and low and the fish are accordingly spooky.  Oh, and the water is cold...

Looking back over pictures from the last couple of months reminds me of the great fall season I enjoyed.  Perhaps the most epic trip I did this fall was a 2 day grand tour of Colorado with my parents when they visited in early October.  The huge loop took in Independence and Kebbler passes, Aspen, Gunnison, and many other towns in between.  Of course there really wasn't any fishing on a trip like this but the scenery more than made up for the lack of fishing.  Naturally, family time meant a lot also so that in the end I didn't even miss the fishing.

I'll share some more pictures over the next few days but here are a couple to get things started.

Evening on the River

My favorite time of day to be on the water is evening.  That may have more than a little to do with the fact that I don't like getting up early.  When fishing is on the schedule, I have been known to get up early to find the big ones, but I would much rather stay out late instead if given the option.  Evening on the river is a magical time.  The crowds have usually left although in terms of quality fishing that's always a mystery to me.  In fact, I've noticed that most fishermen seem to leave the river around supper time.  Perhaps there is a correlation there.  Regardless, it is those magical moments in the last light of the day that keep me coming back.

Quiet

Perhaps the best part of my recent camping trips has been escaping from suburban life if even for 36 hours or so.  Spending the night away from civilization where there are no neighbors for a few miles is as good as it gets.  The only sounds are the wind in the trees, little creatures scurrying about in the night, and the creek flowing by, murmuring quietly in the flat sections and being more rowdy as the gradient increases.

While I'm normally focused on the fishing, I still like to take time to merge into the quiet landscape.  Being still with nature brings the realization that there are a lot more sounds out there than you realized.  The Robins are still around despite the cold mornings, holding off on migrating south until the last possible minute.  I even heard what sounded suspiciously like a Red-winged Blackbird in the morning.  Squirrels chatter and scold and then go about their business again, collecting food for the cold months ahead.

As the landscape comes alive, I realize that it isn't necessarily quiet I'm after, rather removal from the hustle and bustle of city living.  Nature is peaceful, but definitely not quiet.  As I begin to appreciate everything around me, I begin to see things in a new light.

As the new quiet descends, my appreciation for my surroundings increases and the trip is no longer just about the fishing.  My camera comes out as I try to capture the moments of peace and beauty.  When I start missing the woods, I'll look back at my pictures and remember the good times I've had.

Persistence

Have you ever gone fishing when you just weren't really feeling it?  After spotting and successfully stalking the nice brown trout,  I began to think that my day had reached its climax early.  My plan had been to head to a nearby river where I have hooked large fish before.  In fact, the fish in this particular spot have taken me to school.  The largest rainbow I've ever hooked was on this river.  The fish threw the fly after peeling line in one continuous blistering run downstream until I was well into the backing.  Those moments happen but rarely, at least when I'm trout fishing.

This was supposed to be one of those redemption trips where you find and hook a nice fish and then don't lose it in the process of fighting it.  I just wasn't feeling it though.  Rigging up with a deep nymph system complete with midges and my favorite sow bug pattern brought a little confidence, but then the long times between even the most subtle of takes had me thinking increasingly about heading home.  Knowing that the fish were there was kind of nice but not hooking them was not helping with the feeling that the day was winding down.

Finally it was decision time.  I'll just head on out.  Then I noticed that the water had dropped a few inches and decided to try another few casts.  You know, just one more.  Of course, one became three, then four, and on cast four the indicator shot under.  Forget those gentle takes, this was undoubtedly a fish.  Pulling back, I realized that it was not just any fish but a decent trout, hopefully a brown.  The golden flash moments later verified that last bit.  The fish had succumbed to the sow bug pattern.

Yes, I was happy now.  My persistence had paid off.  Again I contemplated leaving, but again I decided on a few more casts.  Catching fish has a way of getting your mind back in the game.  The next time the indicator shot under, the ponderous head shakes that followed suggested a larger specimen.  The steady bulldogging convinced me that it was a brown.  Up and down the river I followed as the fish pretty much went wherever it wanted.  Slowly I gained line until finally I slipped the net under a beautiful male brown colored up like fall.

Likely the prettiest fish I'll catch this year, I took a moment to appreciate the reward I gained for my persistence.  Gently holding the fish in calm water, I gave the big brown the opportunity to rest from its exertions.  Only a moment was required before it shot back out into the current, but not without leaving behind a memory of the reward gained for persistence.

Runner Browns

As I discovered in the waning evening light below camp, some pools were full of both salmon and brown trout following the bounty of eggs.  Assumedly the trout would soon do their own spawning activities.  That camping trip will live on in my memory as one of the all-time great trips.  The next morning after the catching extravaganza, my goal was to scout a bit more of the stream to see if there were more runner browns in the system.  Starting early in the morning at the same pool as the evening before, I managed a few more brown trout as well as a surprise lake trout thrown in for good measure.  Some days you just never know what to expect on the other end of the line.

The cold was still of the bone-chilling variety so I kept fishing instead of stopping to eat breakfast.  A few chips and a cold bagel provided enough energy to stay focused.  Moving upstream from camp, I came across a deep pool with a nice rock ledge on the far bank near the tail out.  Wonder of wonders, a sizable brown was lying right on the rock ledge just like the browns always do back home in the Smoky Mountains.  While I was watching a much larger brown darted out from some unseen hiding place and blended into the depths until I wasn't sure if I had really seen it in the first place or if it was an early morning vision generated by my hopes of finding a big trout.

Looking up higher in the pool, I noticed a classic sandy bottom.  Fish do not often sit on these spots because they are so easy to see but when they do you can usually catch them.  Suddenly my eyes must have bugged out just a bit, because there wasn't just one or two, but a whole row of fish finning at the bottom of that deep hole.  A second examination confirmed that they were definitely not salmon moving up and were probably, in fact, brown trout.

The big streamer was soon flashing back and forth with me ducking a little on each cast for safety.  I plopped it into the water and started swimming it around and....nothing.  Maybe they are resident fish.  The runner fish seemed much more aggressive towards streamers while resident fish are much more wary, having spent their whole life avoiding predators in the stream.  Lake fish tend to have less fear, having dwelt at great depths where they are generally safe from most predators.

I quickly changed my rig to a big stonefly with an egg pattern trailed behind.  Maybe they are watching for eggs from the salmon spawning upstream.  An indicator completed my rig, and then I was back casting to the fish who were now onto me.  One trout in particular was still sitting out though. Just a little behind and across from a large boulder, I suspected that it would eat given the proper drift.

The current was tricky and definitely not conducive to an easy presentation.  However, with enough trial and error, the correct line was soon discovered.  Hitting that line was also tricky, but finally everything came together.  The big brown moved four feet to inhale one of my offerings, the indicator twitched, and I set the hook.  Immediately the fish went ballistic, running all over the pool before heading towards the faster water downstream.  Resigned to losing the fish, I gave chase but without hope.  Any minute the fly should pop free.  Then I started to gain some line.  Okay so there's a chance. The moment I slipped the net under that trout was almost a miracle.  I rarely have such pessimism about losing a trout as I did with that fish, but everything came together for one of those moments I'll always remember.

Definitely not the largest trout I've ever caught, not even close, this fish was memorable because I had worked hard, going through flies, changing tactics, until I found the one that would work on that fish.  The colors were amazing.  The flash in the picture above dull the colors but the net shot below shows the richness of the golden brown hues along the trout's sides.

Amazingly, my weekend trip was not over and would get, if possible, even better.  Stay tuned for the rest of the trip coming up soon!

Dialed In

When I planned to go fishing this past weekend, there were a few question marks surrounding the potential trip.  The biggest was the cold I had been battling for several days.  Cold weather camping is just plain miserable when you have a cold.  Instead of taking off as early as possible on Friday, I decided that I would relax and get a good night's rest Friday night.  The new plan was to leave Saturday morning for two relaxing days and one night out in the deep wilderness as far from civilization as possible.

The excitement was building to the point that, while it was nice to sleep in my own bed, the sleep part never was particularly great.  I kept waking up wondering if it was time to go.  By around 6:00 the next morning, I was ready to get up.  On the road around sunrise, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there were very few people out at this time of day.  Instead of getting stuck in the usual slow weekend traffic, I made good time and a few hours later was cruising through one of my favorite mountain towns in America.

Pushing on to a remote tributary, I found a campsite and put in my claim by setting up the tent and leaving my camp chair up and ready.  On the way down to the campsite I was all over the road, mostly because I was staring at the beautiful stream instead of the narrow dirt road.  Someone following my car's tracks probably thought that a drunk guy had been driving and expected to find a crash around every bend.

On the drive in I had located two good pools full of Kokanee salmon with most fish podded up but a few were doing their thing on the redds.  A handful of browns were around also gobble up any stray eggs.  Never having encountered Kokanee before, I rigged up with a pair of bright nymphs and started working the pod.  My indicator dove 3 or 4 times before the line came tight.  The fish had eaten one of the nymphs!

The fish was strong and full of fight.  By the time I had netted the fish it had worked me back to the tail of the pool.  Another few feet and it would have gained the faster current below.  I was lucky on that one.  A couple of quick pictures were taken to document my first ever salmon.  The Kokanee were fun, but I think I'm ready for Alaska now.  Bring on the real salmon!

In another hour or so of fishing, I accidentally snagged a couple of salmon and fair caught one more.  Apparently snagging salmon is a big sport, but as I wasn't fishing for table fare, I tried to stick to the high road.  The sun was beginning to lower by the time I made it back down to camp.  The only other people around had left by this time, and I had the whole stream to myself.  

Walking downstream, I found several nice pools.  One in particular seemed to hold some salmon.  A streamer had been dug out of the bottom of my fishing pack and tied on so I was looking for something other than the Kokanee.  Swinging the fly, swimming the fly, stripping the fly, any method I used seemed to produce about the same...absolutely nothing.  Perhaps it was the full moon...or maybe I had the wrong color on...or maybe there were no fish.  You know how it goes.  Lots of great reasons for my lack of success were occurring to me by this time.  

Distracted by the scenery and lack of fish, I started to take a few pictures of my surroundings.  The colors in the landscape seemed more beautiful in the late evening light.  

Then I returned to the pool with the Kokanee.  Finally, like a flash of brilliance (more likely just dumb luck) I thought maybe I should fish the far side.  

One of the best things I did all day was to throw the streamer to the far side of the current.  By the second strip, I saw a huge flash as a brown rolled on the streamer.  For the next 45 minutes, nearly every cast produced at least a follow, and I was catching enough beautiful lake run browns to mostly forget that I had a camera hanging around my neck.  I was dialed in although I think it was more along the lines of stumbling into luck.  The salmon were podded up near me while the browns were almost all in the soft water on the far bank.  

The next morning I returned to the same spot and again caught some nice fish including a small lake trout.  Some fishing holes are definitely better than others, or at least that seems to be the main lesson I learned.  Later on Sunday, I would again stumble upon a great fishing hole, but more about that later.  

First Salmon

Yes, you read that correctly.  I found my first salmon right here in Colorado.  For those that don't know, we have Kokanee here in Colorado (landlocked and smaller version of Sockeye apparently).  I found those along with a lot of very nice trout in my journeys this past weekend.  I'll have many more details coming soon once I get some time.  Here is a closeup of the salmon until then.

Passing the Peak

Fall colors have mostly passed their peak, at least in the areas I've been venturing.  However, the beginning of this month was the perfect time to catch them in the act.  Finding trees in the process of passing the peak proved to be a bit difficult as heavy late season precipitation changed the way the trees would progress through their fall best.  However, with a bit of research and a LOT of driving, more than enough amazing colors were found to satisfy the inner photographer.

My parents came out to visit me during my fall break in early October.  We ended up taking several epic drives to see not only the colors but a bit of wildlife as well.  No thanks to the government here as we originally wanted to visit Rocky Mountain National Park but had to adjust at the last minute.  The adjustments were nice however, and I got to explore some new territory as well as covering some of my old stomping grounds down towards Gunnison.

The first part of the trip featured a drive up the Poudre Canyon (what beautiful water!!!) and over Cameron Pass to North Park.  We did this as a day trip.  I would like to point out that while it is definitely a feasible day trip, it is much better as an overnighter.  We took the next day to relax and hike close to home before embarking on another long drive.

Here are a few pictures from State Forest State Park and also along highway 14 between Fort Collins and Walden. As you can see below, a storm was moving in by the end of the day and provided some dramatic skies as the clouds began to lower.  Next up, hiking the Flatirons during the first snow of the year!!!

Oh yeah, to keep the fishing theme going here, I will mention that I stopped at a small stream in the State Park and found some willing fish.  Here is the nicest fish that I caught in about 20 minutes of fishing...