There are times when we all take something for granted. Last week, we were in the Caribbean. The same island as our honeymoon. We went swimming every day because we love it and we don't have oceans in Colorado. When we asked our bartender friends about the ocean, they told us they never go to the beach and never go swimming, because it was nothing special to them. It seemed like they had totally taken it for granted and the exchange made me wonder what I take for granted around home. Our back deck has a view of Mount Evans (a 14,000-plus-foot peak). I look at it every day. I started to wonder whether I had started to take our mountains and my humble little creeks for granted.
So, the day after we got back from our trip, it was time to go fishing with the specific goal of really appreciating what my Front Range backyard has to offer.
The day started overcast and cool with no hatches or rises. I decided to try a few different nymphs first. The first fish of the day came on a red zebra midge, which did well for me last year at this time.
I was then able to enjoy the full progression of the day from nymphing and subsurface feeding, to catching fish on emergers (sparkle dun patterns), then on dries (adams, parachute adams and extended body mayfly patterns). It was truly a pleasure to watch the insect and fish activity change throughout my time on the water and made for an interesting puzzle as the fish targeted the different stages of insect life at different times of the day.
It turned out to be a beautiful day on a beautiful creek that I love. I stopped fishing after losing count, which is always a nice feeling. While I hadn't taken this creek for granted, it was good to be reminded to really appreciate and enjoy what you have.
