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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.