The Legend Grows

The legend of the moose magnet grows!!!

The Moose Magnet

In many cultures throughout history, names bestowed at birth would eventually give way to a "grown up" name.  The name would usually be based off of a characteristic or perhaps even stem from some great deed done by the individual.  Usually names were earned and were a part of the rite of passage into adulthood.  No, I'm not changing my name.  Now that we cleared that up, I want to introduce you to.......drumroll please........the Moose Magnet.

Initially dubbed the Trout Seeker, my new vehicle has already carried me to some great fishing experiences.  In fact, I probably had one of my best days ever catching brown trout with my buddy Joe McGroom on a piece of water that will not be named.  However, while the car has been great at taking me to those fishing spots, it has excelled in carrying me to moose sightings.  During my first 11.5 months in Colorado, I spotted 12 moose.  In the 3 weeks or so since buying my new car, I have already seen 15 additional moose.  The only changes I have made in my trips is the vehicle that is taking me, so clearly this car will now be the Moose Magnet (much thanks to Joe McGroom for helping me to discover this important name).  Here are a couple of moose spotted on the car's first mountain excursion.  

Then, a couple of days later, a nice bull on another trip. 

Just a couple of days ago, I was finishing a trip with David Perry when we spotted 5 more moose.  Here are two of them, a mother and her young.  

While I haven't decided if fate is obviously insisting that I begin guided moose viewing trips, I do know that anytime I'm in the Moose Seeker, I had best be on the lookout for these large critters.  I'm half expecting some moose to move into my neighborhood just to be near my new car.  You can be sure that you will be the first to hear if there are any developments in that direction.  Until then, I'll be taking fishing and moose (or is it moose and fishing) trips as often as possible.  The high country is beckoning...

Lightning Over South Park

When my buddy Joe McGroom made plans to come out and visit for a fishing trip, I knew we would have great fishing because that is a given every time we get together.  What I didn't know about was the great bonus photography session I would be blessed with.  These pictures are looking out across Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir from our campsite in Eleven Mile State Park.  At this point, I still did not know how epic the fishing was going to be the next day but the lightning made the whole trip worth it even if the amazing fishing did not happen.

We initially spotted the storm from a distance while putting in our first two hours on the water.  The fishing was mediocre although Joe did manage one really nice 17 inch brown.  

Eventually we noticed the storm looming off to the east was actually building back in our direction.  Our conversation turned to whether or not camp would be spared from the storm.  Both of us were tired, especially Joe since he had woke up at 3:00 that morning to make it to the airport on time and had travelled west 2 time zones.  The last thing we wanted was a big storm to ruin supper.  

Thankfully, the storm moved to within 5 or 6 miles of camp and then just sat still, allowing for perfect photo opportunities.  The trip was off to a great start with a full day of fishing a short night's rest away...

Black Canyon

This past week turned out a bit differently than planned but the Black Canyon of the Gunnison was still on my list of places to visit.  In fact, I spent three nights camping down at East Portal.  The water was unusually off-colored and the fishing at East Portal was not the best I've had for sure.  For the second time, I hiked one of the inner canyon routes.  The last time I hiked the inner canyon I did the popular Gunnison route.  This time it was the Warner route which has nearly another 1,000 feet of elevation loss.  My legs are still feeling it, and I'm still processing pictures from the trip.  

Also while in the area, I fished the Uncompahgre River tailwater at Ridgeway and found some really nice fish.  Much more to come on this trip as well as the great time I had with my friend Joe last weekend.  I've caught more big trout in the last week than I have caught in Colorado since moving here so I promise there will be some pictures of large fish!!!  

Here is a shot from the bottom of the canyon while fishing via the Warner route access.  Pictures do not do the canyon justice.  Those cliffs are massive!!!

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

Along the Road

Long distance trips do not have to be all misery.  Sometimes the little things along the way are what make the trip.  By a small country road in Oklahoma, I found Indian Blanket growing in profusion.  This is the season for wildflowers!!!

Headed East

Tomorrow morning I am headed east.  Along the way, I hope to see friends and family.  Over the next month or so I will even sneak in some fishing including back home in Tennessee.  With luck I'll get to chase smallmouth and trout and maybe even some musky.  I'll be checking in as much as possible and hopefully going to update with some reports that I know I've been slow to add.  Please be patient as I'm planning on enjoying this summer to the fullest.  Accordingly I may not spend as much time blogging as I otherwise might.  When I return to Colorado in July I'll be camping and backpacking and yes, doing a little fishing as well.  Hopefully I'll find some time to rest as well.  August and a return to school will be here before I know it...

Attention TN Tailwater Anglers

Good news for those of you who live in Tennessee!  The current forecast for the Caney Fork (and the Cumberland as well) indicate that flows are going to be decreasing within the next week or so...finally I might add.  Since I'm planning on heading back to TN for a couple of weeks in the middle of June, I like the sound of fishing my old home tailwater.

If you want to see for yourself, check out this great spreadsheet from the Army Corps of Engineers.  It includes lake elevations as well as predicted inflow and outflow for all area lakes.  The interesting piece is that they plan on cutting back generation once Center Hill Lake reaches an elevation of around 633.5'.  In recent years, with work taking place to address seepage around the dam, elevations were kept below 630'.  Thankfully the target elevations seem to have increased a bit which will be a good thing for the tailwater fishermen!

Pocket Water

Some of my favorite water to fish is pocket water.  On small streams that may be 90% of the water on the whole stream.  On larger classic trout water, larger pools and runs may predominate but the pockets behind in-stream obstructions are still some of the best water in the river.  High stick nymphing is my method of choice although streamers and even dry flies have their place at times.  While on a hike this past weekend, I came across an ideal pocket behind a large boulder.  Unfortunately I did not have a fly rod with me but I will return!  Just imagine what must live behind this boulder...

Full To The Brim

Area streams are full to the brim and there's still a lot more water to come down the hills.  The Big Thompson River in Rocky Mountain National Park is almost to the top of the banks as of our last visit.

Water clarity is still awesome so if you can find calm water you should also be able to find fish.  We've been out on the water but not as much lately.  Today and/or tomorrow should fix that but options are currently limited.  Don't be too disappointed if you get out and find your favorite stream unfishable due to high and muddy water as runoff is in full swing now.  If the water is just stained, fishing the edges and behind any obstructions in the current can still produce some fish.

Final Sprint

The marathon that is also known as the 2012-2013 school year is almost over.  We are now in the final sprint to the finish line.  That does not mean I haven't had time to fish, but not as much time has been available to blog.  I do have a couple of trip reports from the weekend to share coming up in the next day or two.  Some nice fish were caught and, while I haven't looked at them much yet, hopefully some pictures came out well, both of the fish and the scenery.

A word of caution to those that check local fishing reports: not all local fishing reports are updated in a timely fashion.  I headed up Boulder Creek on Friday afternoon only to discover that Barker was pushing a LOT of water (anyone have a LINK to water releases from Barker?).  By working the calm pockets on shore (few and far between I might add) I was able to avoid the skunk but just barely.  The water was almost to the top of the spillway and upper Boulder Creek through Nederland is roaring.

Runoff conditions exist for the most part although some streams are staying clear enough to be worth hitting.  The Big Thompson is good both above and below Lake Estes.  South Boulder Creek below Gross Reservoir is high but fishable if you work the pockets hard.  I did not fish it but did hike down to the river at Walker Ranch Saturday afternoon and spotted a fish holding in a calm pocket.  If I had my fly rod that would have been a caught fish...

The northern Colorado mountains are picking up a bit more snow which is awesome.  The latest maps from the Climate Prediction Center show a small area centered over north-central Colorado that is finally drought free!!!  That is great news for the summer fishing.  Everything is currently greening up nicely, and I have very high expectations for the summer and fall fishing this year.  We are not too high on snowpack so while I don't foresee any dangerously low conditions, fishermen should be prepared for normal low and clear summer flows by mid-late August unless we get an unusually strong monsoon that lingers.

If you want to get out now, generally you should focus on tailwaters for the next week or two although there are a few freestone streams that are barely hanging on.

Yep, It Is Spring!!!

When the birds are nesting I knew that spring is really here.  This robin built a nest last week just down the hall from my classroom on the ledge above the exit door.  I hope the eggs start hatching before I leave for the summer!!!

When Eagles Steal Fish...

Runoff

Here it comes! Get ready for all that frozen water to come down the hills over the next few weeks.  With highs over the plains ranging from the mid 70s to the mid to upper 80s, spring is finally here, and I'm not so sure that summer isn't lurking just around the corner.  Winter stayed around long enough that spring may be fairly short with a quick transition to summer.  Then again, this heat wave may be short lived and we may see more cool wet weather.  I'm hoping for that option of course.  Even the tailwaters will be pushing a bit more water than usual.  Still waters will be a great option over the next few weeks as will tailwaters.  Streamers and big nymphs will work on the freestone streams when they aren't too muddy or blown out completely.

Scouting Up High

Last weekend I hiked in to Brainard Lake with friends.  The main goal of the trip was just to relax and enjoy some time outside but of course I brought along the camera.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that South St. Vrain Creek was flowing and while the banks were still mostly buried in snow, the stream was definitely fishable.  It won't be long now before runoff really gets started but currently there is a good window to fish the local creeks.  I'm wondering if the fish up high might be hungry after a winter locked under the ice.  Then again, I'm not sure I want to lug gear through the snow drifts to find out when more accessible water is fishing so well...

Nasty Weather Rocks

When short on time, go fishing anyways!!!  Unable to get away until 4:00 pm, I still headed out to fish and set my sights on Rocky Mountain National Park.  On the way up, I noticed that seemingly ALL the elk in the Estes Park vicinity were out feeding.  The fishing prospects were a bit more interesting at this point.  I've noticed that when the wild creatures are all out feeding, the fishing is often a lot better.  Naturally I hoped this would hold true again.

When I got out of the Troutmobile, I found myself longing for the fleece that I had left at home.  My raincoat would have to suffice both to block the impending rain (or would it be snow?) and cold.  The old workhorse 9' 4 weight St. Croix Legend Ultra was put together, and I tied on a Bellyache Minnow. This is one of my favorite streamers for short line streamer fishing with floating lines.  The weight is distributed perfectly so it rides correctly in the water column.

On the very first cast, a really nice brown swirled but missed the hook.  I got excited because I had the whole stream to myself and the fish were hungry!  Continuing downstream and pounding the banks, I had fish regularly chasing the streamer.  The sky warned me that rain was imminent, but I kept working steadily.

Just as the first drops were starting to fall, I finally felt a solid tug on the line.  I quickly got the camera out and snapped a couple of pictures before the rain became too heavy.  The camera was soon back safely in the bag and stayed there until things dried out a bit.

Throughout stream, fish started rising as a hatch got underway.  The fish were taking what appeared to be BWOs although I never caught any and they could have been large midges.  My hands were so cold that changing my rig was not an option so I stuck with the streamer.  Besides, I wanted to catch a big fish!

Slowly the rain grew less and less and then finally just stopped as though the clouds had gotten tired.  The gloom started to lift as the sun showed itself vaguely through the clouds in the west above the mountains.  

My fingers were freezing and after stepping in a puddle (hey its hard to cast, properly swim the fly, and walk all at the same time!) my foot was cold too.  Tempted to give up, I realized that I was almost through the section of stream and kept going.  Fish were still hitting the streamer when I came to Dead Elk Bend.  Well, that's what I call it.  Probably the locals have another name for it.  My name was spontaneous due to the rather fresh but stripped remains of an elk nearby.  

The bend pool nearby had a perfect ambush spot for a nice brown.  My cast lobbed the streamer towards the slack water.  As soon as it splashed down, I was swimming the fly out towards the current. A dark shape rocketed out from under the bank and inhaled the streamer.  The heavy tippet allowed me to land the fish quickly.  I set my camera down on top of my gear bag and snapped a quick picture.

After releasing the fish, my day was completed when I was treated to a beautiful sunset over the mountains.  

I strolled back through the fields to my car, satisfied with another great outing!