Snowy Decks

Snowy Decks

Spring is here in the Rockies, but that does not always mean warm and sunny days.  In fact most years, it means a lot of snow.  In Colorado, we have been in a dire need to build our snow pack and free us from the drought that has plagued us for the last year and a half.

The snowy days start to where on you, however, this time of year.  Most of us are dreaming of tall grass, hoppers and hatches. Waking up day after day to shovel a deck can get a little old. We all know the warmer temperatures will come in time, but the winters are long in the high country and a reprise can be appreciated. In due time, I try and remind myself. As a local, I know how important the moisture is this year, especially following such a drought year in 2012.  I will try and stay happy while I shovel my deck. 

Over the past couple of months Colorado’s snow pack has started to near ‘average’ numbers.  This is good news! The average snow pack will mean normal levels in our streams, which will be appreciated. After super high flows in 2011 to super low flows in 2012, average will be a nice change. 

The average flows should help us get back to normal hatch patters. Not a month late, like 2011 or a month early like last year.  A normal fishing year, now that is a novel idea!

Speaking of normal fishing; it is about the time of year to get to the Arkansas River for the years first Blue Wing Olive hatches.  Shortly after that, get ready for the Caddis moving up through Canyon City.  These first hatches are a blast to fish and I highly recommend getting out for both of these hatches.

Many other options are starting to open up.  I have had some good reports on the lower Colorado being floated out of Glenwood.  The upper stretch of the Colorado at Parshall has been also fishing well and the Dream Stream can be at it’s hottest this time of year. 

Many streams are just freeing of their winter ice and if you are adventurous and don’t mind scouting to find open water, the rewards can be bountiful. We have been exploring out of the county in the last couple weeks and have had some great success.  We would love to get you out with one of our guides for a spring fly-fishing adventure!

Get a jump on the season and get out with us, after we shovel our decks!

Good Things to Come

What a last couple of months it’s been!  On Christmas day, while snowboarding I hit a tree. Somehow I managed to snowboard down the mountain and walk home.  As the hours wore on I realized how injured I was. 

It was not till a week that I made myself get some X-Rays and that is when the worries started.  Through going to various doctors in the weeks to come and getting an MRI, I found out I had fractured L1 thru L5 with a burst fracture in L4.  This turns out to be quite a serious situation. 

I immediately was getting warnings to be very careful even walking and heard the dreaded ‘You may not be ever doing what you love again!’  As you can imagine this was not a good day. 

After coming to terms with this as a possibility I really decided to think positively and wait for my next appointment with a back specialist.  This appointment couldn’t come fast enough.  I really wanted and needed to know what my next steps in recovery were.  Was I going to need surgery, a back brace and was I going to be able to be active again?

Then my luck seamed to change.  The back specialist’s PA turned out to be a friend of mine and he proceeded to ask me how I pancaked my spine.  Then he explained that somehow I got very lucky and that because the burst fracture went forward toward the belly, I was not in danger of damaging the spinal cord and that I was going to be alright and without surgery.  What a relief!

My last 3 or 4 weeks have been much higher in spirit and I have been making great progress with recovery.  I am even at a point where I feel I am getting better every day.

As I am coming out of this injured period the excitement of healing and getting better is also accompanied by the excitement of the fishing emerging from the winter.

The last couple of weeks have brought some much needed, snowfall, to the mountains and next few weeks promise to as well. Even with the snowy weather you can start feeling spring starting to creep in, with longer days and warm sunshine.

Many of our rivers will start to free themselves of ice in the months to come and this brings some great fishing on many rivers.  You can always count on Colorado’s premier tailwater fisheries, like the Blue River, Frying Pan, Williams Fork, Taylor and the S. Platte below Spinney and Eleven Mile reservoirs. 

You can also look to fish many of Colorado’s freestone rivers as they free of ice. A few of my favorites are the Eagle River, Colorado River, Roaring Fork and Arkansas River.

After ice off, don’t be surprised to find many insects in the streams. Large stoneflies, caddis, mayflies and midges can be abundant in the river system and the trout will be gorging themselves after the long cold winter.

This is also the time of year to look for the first Blue Wing Olive hatches.  Many of these rivers have great BWO hatches on cloudy spring days. Midge hatches are also common on the tailwaters and freestones and don’t be surprised if you see fish rising to midges during a spring or winter snow.

The next few months look to be exciting, not only for my health but for the fishing as well.  I highly recommend getting out of the house and checking out the fishing on one these rivers. I know I will be!

Fall Colors

 Fall Colors

Fall is here in Colorado and with that comes the splendid colors of Aspens throughout the State.  Along with the Aspen’s color change fall also brings the vibrant colors of Large Browns in our rivers.

The first couple cold fronts moving through Colorado bring the Aspen’s leaves a change in color. These first cold snaps also spring Brown trout into action, moving up rivers looking for spawning grounds and food to fatten up for the winter months to come.

In the weeks and months leading up to their spawn, Brown trout will fatten up on the many insects in the river system as well as larger prey such as Trout, Sculpins, Crayfish and Mice. 

These Browns can range in size from fourteen inches up to fish in the thirty-inch range. The larger Browns tend to hide in deep holes and undercut banks and are rarely seen leading up to the spawn.  Many of these large fish also tend to feed nocturnally, so expecting a “Lunker” mid day can be quite and expectation.

Even some of Colorado’s smaller streams can hold large Brown Trout, especially if there is a reservoir or lake that can grow “Lunker” Brown Trout.  You may be surprised at the size of water that will hold a double digit Brown!

Showing up to the river early in the day or fishing late in the evening will produce the best results for these “Lunkers”.  I usually like to fish streamers to the undercut banks and deep holes, making sure you don’t get too close before your first casts hit the suspecting areas and be ready for a good strike. 

A mouse patterns can also be a fun technique for these “Big Guys”. I can’t tell you it is the most effective, as short or maiming strikes are a common occurrence. It takes strong nerves to keep your self from setting the hook on the first attack and a second strike is rare.  Hookups and strikes can be few and far between, but when was the last time you fished a Mouse Pattern???

Another good fall technique for hunting large Browns is what I call a “Triple Trouble” technique.  I like to say this is either trouble for you or for the fish.  The three fly set up can be quite deadly for catching fish but also can cause many a knot untangling session.  If you set it up right it will make all the difference!

I usually fish a larger attractor dry (Hopper, Para Adams, Stimulator or etc.) then drop about three feet of tippet to a good-sized bead head (Crystal Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph or etc.) lastly add a short dropper of about a foot to a smaller nymph. (JuJu Baetis, Tungsten Zebra Midge, Egg Pattern or etc.)

This is a great technique for fishing shallow fall waters.  Not only are snags less likely then a traditional nymphing rig you will also have a lighter presentation to keep you from spooking the “Hog in the Hole”.

Fish this setup straight up through riffles, across to the cut-banks and you can also do some swinging if you like.  Don’t be surprised if you catch fish on each of the flies through out the day!

The next couple of months offer some superb fishing in what I believe is Colorado’s best season.  Come up and look for some of these “Lunkers”!  I would love to see you stop in the shop for some flies and information.

This is a great time to enjoy some great scenery, maybe get a pic with a Fall Colored Brown, dine on some 2 for 1 entrées in many restaurants throughout Summit County and experience some beautiful fall weather in Colorado.

Blue Sky Days

The first week of August always opens my eyes to how fast the summer has gone by.  It is hard to believe that summer has only a few precious weeks left of long days and warm evenings.

This summer started out quite nice. The fishing was great with low waters. However, that soon became a scary thought with the lack of moisture from the past six months. The July rains could not have come at a better time. 

Not only did the rains help put out the devastating Colorado wild-fires they also added very needed cold waters in our streams at just the right time. We had all been worried that we would have to stop fishing on many of our streams to help the fish survive.

These rains have persisted in the past weeks helping us get through some of the “Dog Days” of summer. But, to be honest, I am getting quite tired of afternoon showers.  Of course there will soon be a change again, and I am sure all of us will welcome in the new weather.

This weather change means the entrance of fall weather patterns. Usually this means blue-sky days, cooler evening temperatures and the chance of snow on the high peaks.

This also means the water temps will be cooling and reviving the streams with more hatches from Pale Morning Duns, Stones, Caddis, Blue Wing Olives and more. The fishing gets hot with all the bug activity. And if you were to ask many of our guides or local fisherman- what their favorite season to fish is-, I am sure many would tell you it’s the fall season from the middle of August through early November. 

This short season offers superb fishing, including, very little fishing pressure, beautiful fall colors and scenery, and quite mountain town experiences.  If you have not visited the mountains in the fall season, you have been missing out! 

There are also many other great deals in our mountain communities in the fall from discounted lodging to 2 for 1 dinners, at many local restaurants. Come visit and fish!

We would like to see you this fall! To entice you to schedule your fall fly fishing trip, we are offering 15% OFF all guided trips booked through our on-line portal for dates from 9-4-2012 to 10-31-2012.  Just enter Code- FALL12 to get the deal!  

Come Early Come Late

Summer has come early to Summit County and the Rocky Mountains. After delayed warm weather the last couple of years, this is a welcome event!

In the last month, we saw the Salmon Fly Hatch come and go -- a good month earlier than in normal years. The Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch was right on schedule and Caddis are still moving up river on the Arkansas and many other rivers in Colorado.

Not only are Caddis hatching in good numbers, but we are also seeing good Mayfly and Stonefly hatches. Everyone is also anticipating the Green Drake hatch on the Blue River and Roaring Fork. This is a must fish hatch, with Mayflies so big that they can barely get off the ground.

The summer guiding season looks like it will be a busy one with many people already escaping the heat from the country’s mid-section. We are anticipating July and August to be especially busy. If you are looking for a trip this summer, be sure you make a reservation and get on the books for the busy weeks to come.

Possible low water has been the talk this season. While we have plenty of water in the rivers now and hot fishing, we are all worried about the first couple weeks in August. This is when the temperatures are at their warmest and the rivers are at their lowest. If we don’t get many rainstorms this summer, this could mean voluntary fishing closures on some river sections to preserve our fisheries. If closures do happen, they will be for only a couple of weeks in early August. Still, this is a very real possibility we should all keep in mind.

My recommendation is to try and get your fly-fishing trips in early this summer (NOW!). The fishing is HOT right now. So don’t delay and come in during the next few weeks! Or, come fish during late summer and fall (late August, September and October). The fishing is quite HOT in the fall due to the cool air and water temperatures. And, did I mention there is no one else up here at that time?

All of us at Blue River Anglers hope to see you this summer -- early, late or even in the potential “Dog Days”! There will always be somewhere great to fish.

Come see us, book your trips and get out and fish!

You have a couple more days to SAVE 25% if you book on-line with the Code-SRING12.

After June 15, I will extend a 10% OFF discount to all trips booked on-line with the Code- RETURN10.

A Step Ahead

The 2012 fishing season you could say seems to be a step ahead of previous years. After a lack luster 2011 season, where we barely saw any dry fly fishing and the streams raged much of the summer, this summer and spring are shaping up to be much different.

This past weekend I guided 3 trips on 2 different rivers and saw some great fishing.  The upper Colorado was our first stop and the fishing was ok, although admittedly I wished it could have been better.  There was a cold front moving in and that very well may have been the problem.  We did see plenty of bugs from Blue Wing Olives, which fish were selectively rising to as well as a few Caddis, small Stones and midges. While the action wasn’t super hot, we did miss fish, hook fish and land a fair share.

The next day we made the trip to the Arkansas to try and track down the infamous Mother’s Day Caddis hatch. (It was the day before Mother’s Day after all!)  The cold front was still lingering the fishing seemed to start out a little bit slow, but as the day warmed up so did the fishing.  We only had a few takes on the dry and saw very few bugs besides Blue Wing Olives. This was expected with the cold front that was lingering and the choice to fish a little in front of the hatch. We did catch many fish on various nymphs, from Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, Blue Poison Tungs, Prince Nymphs, Zebra Midges and more.  Fishing was quite good in this pocket water section and with the warm weather on its way I would look for the sections above Buena Vista to explode with bugs in the week to come.

On Sunday I had the chance to get out and use my drift boat with some clients.  I was looking forward to not only rowing my boat and enjoying the day, but also getting the chance to see if there were any bugs flying on the Colorado, namely the Salmon Fly. Sure enough as I was rigging my boat I happened to see a Salmon Fly crawling on one of the willows and then noticed a few more crawling on my boat and fluttering on the waters surface.  Their numbers weren’t huge, but this excited me for the chance at fish on big dries.

 

Shortly after putting in we were catching fish on the Stonefly and Copper Johns nymphs we were fishing below our large Orange Fuzzy Wuzzy and then we got our first hit on the dry.  A few moments later we had our first fish to the net, out of fast water on our large dry.  The rest of the day we had a hand full more rises to the dry and maybe one or two more fish to the adult pattern.  Many more fish came to the nymphs below our dry and the fish were not picky as we caught them on Copper Johns in black, red and copper, Pheasant tails, Prince nymphs and Stones.  The fishing is usually quite good on this section this time of year, but what surprised me is to see the Salmon Flies a good three to four weeks ahead of schedule.

The fishing was quite exciting and rewarding this past weekend and hope you all will take the opportunity to stay a step ahead of the rest and get out and fish with us soon.

We are still offering the 25% OFF special for trips booked in the window from now to

6-15-2012. Give us a call or use our NEW On-line Booking Portal and get out with us in this early season.

We also want to introduce our all NEW On Line Booking Portal and calendar through Fly Book.  As an introductory offer to all my returning customers I will honor the 25% OFF on all trips booked for summer.  You just have to book by 6-15-2012, Use our On Line Booking portal and Pay in Full when asked.  Just enter Code- SPRING12

Ushering in the Wonder

As we break out of  January's grip , I always welcome the coming and going of the Super Bowl.  Yes, this is a great sporting event. But to me, its passing signifies the start of a new season and especially the fishing season.

The days are starting to get longer, and the sun seems to give off a different light.  There is a change in the air. It may be me just thinking of the spring to come, but I feel it and see weather patterns change. 

At the same time, the fishes' behaviors are starting to change with insect activity starting to ramp up (even if it is only midges).  Consistent midge hatches bring fish to the surface and the trout feed aggressively in the midday sun. 

Soon many rivers  will start to see the first signs of the Rainbow and Cutthroat spawn, with fish starting to stage in inlets and deep holes, looking for familiar spawning grounds for the dance to come.  This staging is something of a mystery and can happen overnight and in varying numbers of fish from year to year. 

These changes inspire me to branch out and look for new places to fish, free of ice, undisturbed, and with ‘wonder’ in my mind.  Wonder, or the unknown, is probably the most influential part of fishing for me.  Casting your fly in a new river or area you haven’t fished for a few months makes it all worth it, especially when a large Rainbow is on the take.  That’s the moment of wonder- when I say to myself, “I wonder if there is a fish sitting below that riffle that  just freed from the ice.” 

The next couple of months can be very rewarding as I step out of the shop to go fishing.  The Mountains are changing with spring in the air. The views are breathtaking. ‘Wonder’ is alive in each new destination. The fishing and everything you see while in the river's presence is flourishing.

This is a magical time of year. It's time to break free of winter and usher in a new season of change! Time to step out and enjoy the day, the views, the wildlife, the fishing and the ‘Wonder’!