More Pre-Runoff Spring Front Range Fishing

It looks like runoff has finally hit based on the gages.  I'm going to have to check for myself soon.  But after the dreadful snowpack forecasts we had at the beginning of April, I'm glad we got some storms.    It looks like the recent warmer weather is finally starting to bring all the moisture down the hills.

My friend and I had one more chance to hit Clear Creek before that though.  We were excited to visit a stretch of water we love, but it was still a bit early.  With water temperatures in the mid 30's, the resident cutbows and cutthroats were still a bit lethargic.  It looks like we will have to wait until later this summer to hit it now. 

I was able to pull together another quick edit to show how things were doing up there.  For the next few weeks though, it looks like I'll be trying to go with stonefly nymphs along the edges and slower water.  Good luck out there.  

Spring Front Range Fishing Edit

Spring Front Range Fishing

I'm glad to get off of the ranting and into some more peaceful and productive fishing.  I have had a few better days out on Clear Creek and Bear Creek which have been fishing pretty well this spring. Zebra midges in red and brown have been the big winners for me.  I have even seen a few sail boating mayflies out there as well.  I was able to capture a bit of footage of my time out on the water and wanted to share it as motivation and as a quick conditions report.  If your Internet connection supports it or if you are patient, please remember to increase the video quality, as it is much better at higher quality.  Thanks.

 



 



I have run into friendlier and more polite fishermen over the last few outings which has renewed my faith in fishing humanity.  See you next time on the water.

Etiquette

I have been guilty of bad etiquette in the past.  From using the wrong fork to playing music too loud too late.  I have even been guilty of bad etiquette on a trout stream, but I know better now (for the most part).

I know that spacing on a stream, especially here in Colorado, depends on what river you are fishing.  I expect more room on a small back country creek than on the South Platte below Cheeseman or somewhere in South Park.  I am also aware that it's spring and everyone is excited to be on the water under a beautiful blue sky.

But let me set the scene from last weekend.  Popular front range creek outside of Denver.  Temperatures in the mid 60's, light to moderate wind, with fish sporadically rising.  I choose an empty roadside pull off, avoiding others due to other fisherman readying for their days (no big deal, plenty of water for everyone).  Situating myself in the middle of a half mile of fishermanless water in the effort to be polite, I begin to fish.  Nothing major, just your typical run of the mill selective brown trout.  Working a fairly productive run, I didn't  move much more than a 100 feet up river over an hour or so and was having a nice, relaxing, peaceful day.

So why, why in the world, would I find myself staring at at three fly fisherman as they enter the run directly above me and start to work their way downstream towards and into the top of the run I was fishing?

I had no idea what to do and chose to go the sarcastic Walmart greeter route and asked the closest fisherman (barely 25 feet away) at the top of my lungs how his day was going and explained that I had been planning to work my way into the same run this older gentleman was currently working towards me.  He did not get it.

What are you supposed to do?  Cuss him out?  Given a lesson to someone 30 years your elder?  Would he even get it?  I thought not and just let it go.

What would you have done?  I am open to all suggestions, realize that I hate confrontation and that I handled it in the least effective / most passive aggressive manner possible.

Anyways, thanks for listening to my etiquette rant, here's a fish for your trouble.

Fighting Cutthroats 2012

Fighting Cutthroats 2012

I went to Colorado College and one year, sometime in the 90's, a student suggested that the school mascot be changed from the Tigers to the Greenback Cutthroat trout.  The change didnt happen, but if it had, we may have been the Fighting Cutthroats.  The potential shift in mascots obviously has stuck in my mind and I have adopted the Fighting Cutthroats name as the title for my annual cutthroat video.  This is my third annual offering editting my footage of chasing cutthroats and cutbows around mountain streams and high country lakes of Colorado.  I didnt get as much time on the water this year or have any high country lake success, but I had a wonderful year with many great days out on the water.  I hope you enjoy.

 

And if you have missed the previous Fighting Cutthroat efforts, please feel free to catch up below.

 

 

2011 edit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmMS-kx1Kw

 

2010 edit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoC5OurWxXg

 

Post Broncos Blues - Fly Tying

I still can't believe they lost.

I needed to focus my energy elsewhere, so I sat at the tying bench during the Sunday games.  Here's what I've been working on.

Thread Midges - Just tread, fine wire and peacock herl in various color combinations.

 

Random Nymphs

Micro Worm

Playing around

 

 

Well, here's to next year.  Hopefully, we get some good draft picks.

My First Blog Posting

This is my first time using a blog.  I wasn't sure if this was something I was going to start up, but one of my 2013 resolutions was to reach a broader audience for my videos and have decided to jump headlong into the fray.

Getting married last summer significantly cut into my fishing, video and editing time, so I didn't publish anywhere near as many videos as I had wanted.  This year, I am dedicating myself to get out more and provide video updates of my fishing adventures on a more regular basis.

I did recently complete and post a video from last summer based on footage collected during a weekend with friends in the Colorado mountains competing for bragging rights of most and biggest fish.  We call the weekend the "Day of the Brookie"  although we catch less and less brookies and this year none were caught at all.

I hope you enjoy my first post, my first blog posted video (the third annual Day of the Brookie) and that you tune back in throughout the year to see how my 2013 resolution of becoming a blogger is progressing.