Quaking Aspens and Spawning Browns

2010-07-07T18:33:00.004-04:00

July 7, 2010. Unfortunately, I have not been able to fish as much this year as in the past. Higher priorities and commitments even forced me to schedule the annual trip to Colorado to this past weekend, as opposed to the normal weekend in September. The fishing was to put it kindly, "slow." We fished the Colorado, the Williams Fork, Muddy Creek, Willow Creek and the Fraser and only managed to hook a few biggies in Muddy Creek. There were a couple that I fought good and hard on the 17" - 20" range, but I was unsuccessful in landing any of them. Jerry was the big winner with a nice Rainbow about 17" long.

2009-10-04T09:48:00.006-04:00

October 4, 2009. This past week I concluded the annual trip to Colorado with Al & Jerry. This year we were joined by our friend and colleague, Jason Mielke. Jason proved himself a skilled fly fisher and a good friend.

We started our trip with a visit to the Colorado River between Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby. This stretch has always been productive and this year was no different. We all managed to catch and land quite a few fish with Jason hauling in a submarine around 16 inches long. I hooked a biggie, but didn't land it, though Jason and I did get a chance to see it and figured it to be around 15 inches long. Al landed a biggie, too, and even tried to kill it by slipping on a rock and landing in the water, net and all!

On Monday, we ventured near Rabbit Ears Pass to Muddy Lake. While it started out slow, the fishing picked up quickly and we all netted quite a few before heading to lunch down in Kremmling. After lunch we traveled on to Muddy Creek--a beautiful river that has a lot of character. There, we all managed a productive afternoon of fishing. We even took a few for our Tuesday dinner. We ended the day with another trip back to Muddy Lake and a few more fish.

Tuesday was an exciting day! We took the trail to Corona Lake. At 12,ooo feet, there are 3 alpine lakes within proximity of each other. Huffing and puffing, we made our way to an unnamed lake adjacent to Corona Lake and had a wonderful time fishing Brookies. I even landed my first fish on a dry fly. We hiked over to Corona Lake, but had no success. By the time the day was over we were all out of breath, but excited about our adventure.

2009-06-10T21:17:00.003-04:00

June 10, 2009. On Memorial Day weekend, I traveled to Colorado with my brother, Chuck. Uncertain as to what lie ahead, we found the conditions to be cool and wet with extreme runoff issues. Despite the runoff, we fished the Fraser, Colorado and Williams Fork Rivers, along with Delaney Buttes lakes. Chuck found success on the surface of the lakes, while my fish were all caught nymphing on the rivers. The conditions were challenging, but we managed to land ten fish between the two of us and lost just as many. Having said that, the old saying, "A bad day fishing beats a good day at work!" still applies.

2009-05-03T15:28:00.003-04:00

May 3, 2009. Since my last post in March opining about the weather, spring finally arrived after a mixed beginning. Since then I have visited the Special Management Area of the Patuxent River twice.

For the first, it was a warm, sunny Friday afternoon and I couldn't let the day go by without wetting my line. I was fortunate to have the river to myself and managed three Rainbows. I even got one in a hole that for years eluded me--even though I suspected there were fish in the hole.

My last trip was this past Wednesday. I played a little hookie from work in the afternoon and fished the Patuxent, again, but this time in an area I had never fished. After a few hours, and nearly getting swallowed by a huge mud hole, I managed two Rainbows and a Smallmouth. Next trip--Colorado!

2009-03-09T21:37:00.004-04:00

March 9, 2009. So March has been strange! The month started with the heaviest snowfall we've seen all winter--around 7.5 inches here in Central Howard County. Other parts of the state ended up with over a foot. It was immediately followed by two days of bitter cold temps and then voila! The temps made an about face and headed north and by the end of the week the snow was gone and the temps were in the 70s. Perfect for a little early season fishing. So off we went--that is, my bud, Al, and I. We headed to Morgan Run in Carroll County. Apparently, it had been stocked with a late winter stocking. I was delighted to be back on the river and my patience paid off. Within the first few minutes I landed a nice Rainbow, and then another--both on a Woolly bugger. I moved into another area that Al had been fishing and caught two more--these two on a Bead headed Nymph with a little weight added on. After fishing that area, I went on a bit of a hike to find the next area. Morgan Run appears to be broken up between very narrow areas that provide excellent cover and then occasional pools. It was through this discovery that I found another area to wet my line and caught my fifth--again on the nymph. Unfortunately, Al didn't have as much luck. However, the time spent with an old friend is always worth it, regardless of the fishing outcome.

2009-01-19T09:09:00.002-05:00

January 2009. So here I sit in my home office, looking out at the snowflakes falling and thinking, "I wonder how my little subsurface friends are doing." I am reminded of something a friend said, "Sean, do the fish eat when it's snowing?" Do they even know?

In all its beauty, snow reminds me of the constant change of our world, the constant change of life. Snow has the power to change the surface upon which it lands. If it is an old, rusty can, in no time it will be covered appear as a white lump sticking up from the ground. If it is a tree, in a matter of time, the white of the snow will transform the lifeless tree into an artistic wonder. Even homes that take on the reputation as an eyesore get a reprieve after a dusting of snow. It's as if the hand of God is sweeping down on the earth and applying a fresh coat of paint, and in the process neutralizing his creation. Ah, snow!

2008-10-02T07:47:00.004-04:00

October 2008. Dreams Do Come True!!!! So, this past weekend (Sept 25 - 29), I travelled to Colorado for the annual fishing trip with Al and Jerry. The weather was splendid and the Aspens were at peak! On Friday, we fished the Colorado River between Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby. It didn't take long until I hit pay dirt. Along a short stretch, I managed to land 17 fish, mostly rainbows, with the biggest being around 17" and the average around 12". Jerry met the same success.

We designated Saturday as our Exploring Day and decided to head north of Kremmling on I-40 towards Steamboat Springs with the intent of fishing the Yampa River. Along the way, we stopped a few times for pictures. At one stop, Al and I noticed that there were fish rising from the small lake where we had stopped to take pictures. We decided to grab our rods and make a few casts, not expecting much. Well, two hours later we had all caught more than 25 rainbows each. It was unbelievable! They were even going after our indicators! Once we stopped, we continued on to Steamboat Springs and checked Steamboat Flyfisher--a nice fly shop right in the middle of town. We had lunch at the pub across the street and decided to fish the Yampa. Not much going. I managed to get a small rainbow, but Al and Jerry met no success, there. On the way home, we stopped at the lake again where the fishing was much slower. Al and Jerry managed to land a few on dry flies, but I had no such luck.

Sunday, our final day, we headed to the Colorado at Hot Sulphur Springs. The Colorado seemed to be off and a bit high. We discovered that there was a release from the reservoir up in Granby and the river was now 2-1/2 feet higher than the previous day. Despite this, I was able to catch 5 fish--all browns--with one about 15" in length. Jerry and Al didn't have much luck and we called it a day.

Once again, a wonderful fishing event with two good friends! The fishing was the best it had ever been! Dreams do come true!

2008-08-03T22:29:00.003-04:00

August 3, 2008. That's a wrap! All good things must come to an end, and our family vacation to Colorado officially ends tomorrow with our trip back to Denver. However, I was able to spend most of yesterday fishing. I started on the Williams Fork, but the mosquitoes were so bad that I gave up early and headed over to familiar waters on the Colorado. I fished several different locations and caught about 6 fish--all Browns. Most were in the 10 inch range, but one was about 16 inches and was beautiful! After that catch, the waters were disturbed by rafters, so I called it a day. Just in time as the afternoon rains began. Closes the books on another good trip to Colorado and quite productive.

2008-07-31T23:27:00.002-04:00

July 31, 2008. Yesterday, July 30, we traveled to Breckenridge and Leadville, Colorado. Leadville is home to the National Fish Hatchery. We enjoyed an interesting visit and learned that they now only raise Greenback Cutthroats from egg stage. It was an informative trip and we got to see thousands of Rainbow and Cutthroats in the 'Raceways.' Unfortunately, the hatchery is extremely limited in what it can do because of a lack of resources. If you're in the Leadville area, I strongly recommend a trip to the hatchery.

2008-07-29T13:37:00.002-04:00

July 29, 2008. SWEEEEET! That's all I can say about today's fishing on the Fraser. Started out early and landed a 14" Rainbow on a San Juan worm. During the next couple hours landed a few more, including a couple Brookies--all on the worm. Changed to a Red Copper John and landed this hog. He measures around 16" and weighed around 5 pounds!

2008-07-28T10:51:00.004-04:00

July 28, 2008. Here's one of the small trout we caught yesterday on the St. Louis Creek!

2008-07-28T10:26:00.003-04:00

July 27, 2008. Back in Colorado! Today, I had the chance to fish with my youngest daughter. We fished the small pond outside of our house with no success other than a few strikes. We traveled to one of my favorite spots on the St. Louis Creek where we managed to catch and land a few Brookies--oh, how I love those Brookies!

The picture to the left is of the Rainbow I caught on the Fraser River. I was not feeling much of the love since I had tried several patterns with no luck. I changed to a San Juan Worm and everybody then went nuts! I landed this guy, but lost a few of his relatives--they were all huge! This guy measured about 14" and weighed about 4 - 5 pounds. The picture is a bit distorted because I took it with my iPhone. Hopefully, this will be the first of many on this trip!

2008-06-11T21:37:00.003-04:00

June 2008. It has been a long time since my last post, so I thought I'd fill the readers in.

During March and early April I was able to get out to fish my local waters on the Patuxent River. I prefer the delayed harvest area as it is close to home and is not heavily fished. The water levels were perfect and quite cold. Each outing I was able to hook and land at least one fish--two rainbows and a brown. This year I even fished further down and discovered a hole full of good sized fish. I hooked a big one on a Woolly Bugger, but lost it.

My spring was occupied by many things this year, including business, kids sports and the acquisition of a new Harley Davidson Motorcycle. A beautiful machine, I envision myself riding to my favorite hole.

On Memorial Day weekend, my brother and I traveled to the family vacation home in Fraser, Colorado. Due to the long winter and cool spring, runoff had been quite delayed. As a result, we tried some new waters and different parts of familiar waters. We fished the South Platte near Deckers where I managed a rainbow on a chartreuse copper john. On Saturday, we fished the Fraser River where I landed a beautiful rainbow and then several browns later in the day. We tried the Arapaho with no luck, however, it's solitude and beauty paid dividends. On Sunday, we fished the Fraser some more where I caught a few more browns and Chuck caught a healthy brown (see photo). From there, we traveled to Hot Sulphur Springs to try the Colorado--too high! So off we went to the Colorado way up in Rocky Mountain National Park. Although I managed a brown and none other, the scenery more than made up for the lack of fishing prospects. All-in-all, a great weekend of fishing, smoking cigars, and some great camaraderie with my brother. Of course, looking back, it went by way too fast.

That's about it for now. I'll start fishing the local tailwaters soon now that most of the spring activities have come to an end. Next big trip is back to Colorado later this summer for a week and a half.

Tight lines!

2007-10-14T18:30:00.002-04:00

October 14, 2007. I was unable to post from Colorado so I'll pick up here from the trip.

On Wednesday, the 26th, we fished our popular spots on the Colorado near Hot Sulphur Springs. Again, despite our best efforts, we were denied the excitement of a tight line. We gave up early and headed to Rocky Mountain National Park where we completed the entire circuit. It was a beautiful day and we took advantage of the warm weather and awesome scenery.

On Thursday, the 27th, we headed to the Basalt area where we fished the incredibly scenic Fryingpan River. Al had great success and even Jerry caught a few. Me--skunked again! We enjoyed great company and tips from Fryingpan Anglers and ended the day with a fantastic dinner at the Rivers Edge Grill.

My luck changed on Friday, the 28th, when we headed over to the Roaring Fork River just near Carbondale. Before that, however, we had a great breakfast in the town of Redstone, Colorado. We even took some time to drive over to McClure Pass where we took a lot of pictures of the Aspens in various stages of fall colors. After that, we headed to the 'Fork.' Apparently, the Roaring Fork is often overlooked and as result doesn't get nearly the pressure of the Fryingpan. This played to our favor and I finally met success. I caught and landed my first ever Whitefish on a snow cone fly, size 22. It was about 15 - 17 inches and weighed approximately 4 pounds. In addition, I hooked and landed a few Browns as well. I ended the day with a large Rainbow on a Stonefly. However, it succeeded on freeing itself before I could land it. All in all, not a bad day, especially given the poor performance in the earlier part of the week.

We ended our trip to Colorado on Saturday, the 29th, and headed back East on Sunday, the 30th. Another great year with good friends!

(Pictured: Fishing buddies, Jerry and Al, at the North Platte River)

2007-09-25T22:18:00.000-04:00

September 25, 2007. This is the first entry since our annual trip here to Colorado. This year we have a small crew--Jerry, Al and me. Unlike previous years, we have planned a whole week and will even venture beyond the familar surroundings of the Fraser Valley.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon, the 22nd. Jerry and I headed up to the St. Louis Creek and played with the Brookies.

On Sunday, the 23rd, we travelled to the Williams Fork River. This was the first time on the Williams for all of us. Jerry struck gold first with a 10 inch Brown. He caught another one and then let me have a shot at the hole. I brought in a 10 inch brown as well before I headed up river to a riffle where I caught another small Brown before hitting pay dirt. I landed a 15 inch Brown that weighed a couple pounds--it had quite a girth to it--more like a Rainbow. After that I caught a small 6 inch brown before the weather hit. The weather turned windy and began raining. We tried fishing some more, but the weather forced us to flee to the car so we headed further up the river. However, we were unsuccessful and returned to Fraser as the weather worsened. Not a bad first day.

On Monday, the 24th we woke to cloudy skies and a rain and snow mix. We took the scenic route to Silverthorne to make a visit to Cutthroat Anglers (http://www.cutthroatanglers.com/). We grabbed lunch and headed up stream to the public campground where we put in. The weather appeared to be holding, but no luck with the fishing. Jerry managed to land a small Brown, but Al and I got skunked. We headed further up to the area just below Green Mountain Reservoir and put in there. Although the fish were rising (somewhat), nothing! We headed back to Fraser disappointed as the weather worsened (again!).

We awoke on Tuesday, the 25th, with a bit of excitement. mother nature had treated us to a light dusting of snow and the mountains were splendid! We drove two hours to the North Platte River just south of the Wyoming border. We were excited to find there was only one other vehicle in the public area. However, our excitement quickly turned into dejection as we were once again skunked--all three of us--not even a single bite. They were in there as I spooked a couple big Browns from there hiding places. Despite the rigging, nothing worked. We returned to Fraser and tried a small creek alongside Rt. 125. Again, no luck! We can only surmise that the rapid change in weather impacted the fishing as we learned that other fishermen were experiencing the same results. Hopefully, our luck will change tomorrow as we head back to familiar waters on the Colorado.

2007-07-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

July 21, 2007. Well, it's been two days of progressively good fishing. Before I headed out I made the standard pilgrimage to Moe Henry's Trout Shop for the latest gouge. From there, I started out on the Colorado just West of Byers Canyon yesterday. Caught a small Brown Trout there on a Green Copper John. The water was high and very clear. From there, I traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park where I put in at around Mile 7 from the Southern Entrance. The water was extremely clear and stealth was the call. Caught a Brookie and a couple Browns before calling it a day.

Today, I started on the Fraser in a private access section owned by Devil's Thumb Ranch--probably the nicest Guest Ranch in the Fraser Valley. Their Activities Center is very nice and well stocked. I fished the Fraser in the morning and landed a huge Rainbow. My guess was about 4-5 pounds. While not long, it was very fat. If the pictures turn out, I'll post one here. That didn't come without it's cost. Prior to landing that one, I must have lost a dozen, including two that would have challenged the one I landed. I landed another one about 12 inches long after a good fight.

After lunch, I drove up to St. Louis Creek just shy of the Byers Creek Campground. A beautiful area, especially if you want to just get away for a little. I found a nice place to fish with lite tackle. The St. Louis meanders from the Byers Peak area and picks up speed along its journey. Occasionally, it will settle into a small pool. I found such one and started hammering the Brookies. They are, by far, the most beautiful. Though small, they were good fighters and extremely colorful. I even managed to land a Cutthroat as well. I broke the equipment down just as a typical afternoon thunderstorm reared its powerful head my way.

All-in-all, a very productive two days out in Colorado. Can't wait til I get back in September!

2007-07-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

July 4, 2007. Happy 4th of July! As I mentioned in my last post, I was busy moving and so forth. I was able to make it out to my home in Colorado during the Memorial Day weekend and had some success fishing the Colorado River between Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby (near Grand Lake). I hooked one using a Size 16 Green Copper John. I swore to myself that if I landed the fish, it would have been the biggest one I caught and that it would be a miracle if I landed it. I was right--it would have been a miracle. I lost the fish after a minute or two of fighting. On another cast, another large one actually bent--not broke--but bent, my hook! I did manage to land a nice Rainbow about 14-15 inches long and some Browns, as well.

On another day, I fished the Colorado right in Hot Sulphur Springs. Most were Browns of varying sizes up to 12 inches. I did manage a Rainbow or two. The flow was rather heavy due to the runoff in some areas that I have fished before. I also tried the Fraser in town, but the runoff was too swift.

My next trip is planned for later in July. I hope to get 2 days in and have been considering going back into RMNP for some brookies.

2007-05-06T12:59:00.000-04:00

May 6, 2007. It has been way too long since I last posted, but have been busy with finalizing a new home, moving and selling my old home. Since the beginning of March, I have been able to get out 3 times--all on the Patuxent River. While my success has been limited, I have been able to land 3 nice sized Rainbows and lose twice as many. The weather has been good for fishing--it's just that I have been way too busy with other things. Now that the move has been completed, I hope to have more time to dedicate to fishing. I'll be fishing in a few weeks in Colorado--looking forward to hitting the Colorado and Fraser Rivers. Hopefully the runoff won't be too high. C Ya!

2007-03-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

March 5, 2007. I've transitioned to a new level of fly fishing--that of fly tier. I started by creating a Wooly Bugger. According to the Orvis Fly Tying Guide, the Wooly Bugger is one of the easiest flies to make, especially for a novice tier. I found the book to be an easy guide with lots of pictures and instruction. While it aint pretty--I tied my first. I'm working on a Copper John--a lot more difficult than the bugger. I'm anxious to give it a try--my luck, it will end up high in a tree. C ya!

2007-02-12T21:08:00.000-05:00

February 12, 2007. Since Friday evening I've been at our house in Fraser, Colorado. Although there is plenty of snow, the weather has been somewhat mild. I took in some skiing and noticed that parts of Clear Creek were flowing, while most of it is frozen over. Likewise, the Fraser and my beloved, Colorado are a solid sheet of ice. I hope our friends down below are okay. Driving by some of my favorite holes and seeing it frozen made me a little depressed and longing for warmer days when I can put away the skis and bring out the rods. Until then, I'll continue to daydream about tight lines.

2007-01-16T21:36:00.000-05:00

January 16, 2007. Happy Birthday to me. Well, kinda! It was actually last Saturday. It was pretty good. Although my Baltimore Ravens lost their AFC Playoff game and it was raining, it was still a pretty good day. I got Verizon FiOS installed in the house. Now I have smokin video and broadband service and my HDTV is fully functional. More importantly, though, my wife and kids gave me a fly tying kit and my mother-in-law gave me a portable fly tying platform. SCHWEET!! Now all I have to do is learn to tie my own flies--no small feat! Suggestions are greatly encouraged! The kit is pretty cool and it comes with a vise and a variety of materials to get started. Now if I could only find the time! I'll let you know how it goes.

2007-01-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

January 8, 2007. Happy Fly Year! Here's hoping you had an enjoyable Holiday. Now that the Holidays over, thoughts return to the water. However, given the strange weather, I'm not sure whether I should be wetting my line or just wishing I could. First things first--must get 2007 license. Let me make a plug for my new friends at RoundRocks Fly Fishing. Located in Logan, Utah, RoundRocks has a wide assortment of all the fly patterns you'll need for a productive day on the water. And friendly service is what you'll get. This evening, I gave them a call and had great conversation with Victor. It quickly passed the typical sales call and within minutes, I felt like I was sharing fish stories with an old fishin' buddy. Back to the flies, Victor is hooking me up (no pun intended) with a good selection of Copper Johns (what a shocker) and some prince nymphs. Given that I probably won't have a chance to use them until late Spring, I'm psyched just to place the order. I also ordered a RoundRocks shirt just to do my part in getting the word out on what I believe to be the friendliest toll-free fly shop. Give Victor a call at 1-800-992-8774. Their web site is www.roundrocks.com. Check it out!

2006-12-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

December 27, 2006. It's been a while since my last post and not much has really happened since then. I mentioned that I have had the opportunity to share my passion of fly fishing with my brother, David, and my father. On one such trip we were able to fish the South Platte River, between Elevenmile and Spinney Mountain Reservoirs. We did this with a larger group of friends and family with the assistance of Monroe Coleman, a guide affiliated with The Blue Quill Angler, a fly fishing shop in Evergreen, Colorado.

Neither my brother nor my father had done any fly fishing before this trip. Regardless, the guides really assisted and both my father and brother had an enjoyable time. So much so, that now my father is a regular partner on our fly fishing adventures. On that trip my father caught a small, but beautiful rainbow, but my brother got skunked. The important thing is that they enjoyed themselves immensely. My brother particularly enjoyed the incredible scenery.

All-in-all, we had an enjoyable day sharing our enjoyment of fishing and being in the outdoors away from the stresses of everyday life.

2006-12-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

December 9, 2006. Let me tell you about someone who has become a special fishing buddy of mine--my brother Chuck! Chuck is one of those people that when he sets upon doing something, he picks it up with relative ease, fly fishing included. I introduced Chuck to fly fishing last year (2005) on a guided trip he and I, along with two other friends, took on the Arkansas River near Salida, Colorado. Since I had been fly fishing for a few years, I figured I had a few years advantage on him. Wrong! Chuck picked it up with relative ease (and special attention from an old fly fishing guide (that story at another time)). Within a few hours, Chuck's skill--and determination--matched mine and we were fishing at the same skill level. I was pleased. That way Chuck and I could fish on the same par and neither would hold the other back. As a result, we had a successful trip and many others here in the East, along with a follow-up trip this past September where he and I hit the jackpot on the Colorado River near Hot Sulphur Springs, CO.

The next time I post, I'll discuss fishing with my other brother, David, and my Dad. It's nice as adults to enjoy time together with family and friends, and fly fishing is one of those sports that has as an added bonus, the pleasure of bringing family together. More on that later.

2006-12-05T17:59:00.000-05:00

December 5, 2006. The Copper John. What can't I say about this special nymph? Regardless of where and when I've been fishing, the Copper John has always proved to be the most productive. I have found that the Red or Green Copper John seems to imitate whatever it is the fish are feeding on the most. In Colorado, for example, when all else failed, I pulled out my handy dandy Copper John and voila, "Fish on!" Size 16 - 20 seem to work the most. Mr brother claims that he is going to get rid of all of his flies, except his Copper Johns--I'll believe that when I see it! Nevertheless, when all else fails, I suggest rigging up a Copper John, and you too will experience, "Fish on!"

Tight lines!

2006-12-04T21:18:00.000-05:00

December 4, 2006. Check out this flyfishing site, www.roundrocks.com. I received their Winter mailer today and they have a great selection of flies for .89 cents a piece--what a great deal. I have paid multiples of that at local fly shops. Next time I post, I'll talk about my favorite fly--The Copper John.

2006-12-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

December 3, 2006. Check out some of the links on the right side. Some of these are pretty good sites and offer a mix of information on water conditions, angling tips, and products.

2006-12-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

December 2, 2006. Unfortunately, I was unable to go flyfishing on Thanksgiving because of the weather--cold and wet. Now that it appears winter is starting to set in here in Maryland, I'm not sure whether I'll be able to get out again before my license expires. Maybe next weekend.

Last time I went fishing was back in September in Colorado. I was able to fish with my brother and a couple friends. We fished the Colorado and Fraser Rivers. We had the greatest success on the Colorado right around Hot Sulphur Springs and on the western side of Byers Canyon where my brother and I were hauling them out. It got to the point where we were hoping they would just coome off so that we didn't have to remove the hooks--it was crazy.