Not always as you plan

I had planned to brave the holiday weekend crowds and make my way to another high altitude lake in search of some more cutty's.  The plan for an early morning departure did not seem as appealing after a late night of poker and drinks on Friday night.  By the time we were headed back down from the hills in the dark, I resigned myself to a day around the house.  We were caught in the Friday night exodus from Denver and I wanted no part of any additional up close views of car bumpers.  It is enough to drive you crazy.  That, coupled with the thought of a bleary eyed morning drive to find a crowded parking lot, trail and lake, then more traffic in the afternoon sealed the deal and I stayed close to home, chasing small brown trout.

Although not the high altitude target and with cars roaring past on the nearby road, a brief respite was found on the edge of fine river.  Flows were a little higher than I had expected and the water was a bit off color.

Between the banks and the stronger main current, I found pillows of softer water with jagged rocky bottoms that provided the perfect hiding places for some small, somewhat selective brown trout.

Although things don't always go as planned, time on the water is time on the water and is always appreciated.  No donuts were had this weekend, but I did get to enjoy a nice relaxing beer as I listened to the river rumble past, just loud enough to drown out the passing traffic.  I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend. Cheers.

Don't Know Unless You Go

As any good fly fisher, kayaker, tuber or other river user knows, you check the stream gages before you head out for a day on the water.  Some days you look at those gages and you stay home, some days you look at those gages, grumble something to those around you who marginally understand and go anyway.  

I had last Friday off.  I was excited to escape my desk for the day and instead be out on a river.  But, Thursday night a peek at the gages made my heart sink, storms had rolled through, and flows were up in the last few hours.  By the time I got up in the morning, flows were about 50 percent higher than the morning before.  I grumbled.  Those close to me didn't grasp my disappointment. 

I still went and was glad I did.

The stream was just as it should have been.  The flows on my chosen stretch were not up, the sun was shining and the fish were eating.  Cutty's again, but this time around they were happier to eat a beadhead pheasant tail dead drifted past them than come to the surface.  I did hook a few on an adams and then an elk hair caddis, but more often than not they wanted a nymph.  It is getting a bit cooler at the higher elevations, so maybe there aren't as many bugs on the water, although there seemed to be plenty around.  Caddis, flying ants, small and big stoneflies, and, of course mosquitos.

A quiet day on the creek was just what I needed.  I didn't see anyone else out there, probably because of the stream gage information and the rain that was forecast for the afternoon.  And it did rain.  Just a bit lower in the drainage.  The creek downstream was chocolate milk as I drove home in the afternoon and for the next few days.  If I hadn't gotten out, I would have never known that up high the cutty's and the river were unaware of the turbulence below them.  Which is how I felt being in the woods, not worrying about anything else.

I love fishing for cutty's and cutbows and this small creek represents the full range of the interminglings of rainbow and cutthroat trout.  Although you don't see rainbows this high in the drainage, their genetic material has definitely made its way upstream against the flow.  Even if the fish are not pure cutthroats, they are still beautiful and still typically take flies with the same innocence of a full cutthroat.  Being just picky enough to make it interesting and make you think you know it all when you find the fly that results in some consistent strikes.

After a good day on the water, a nice cold beer hit the spot as the rain started to pick up.  And as I said, I'm a sucker for a donut which was enjoyed on the water as well.  I know I should be eating better, but too bad.

Of course this weekend will be a little more crowded wherever I end up, I plan to hit a trail somewhere and try my luck with another high country lake full of cutty's.  I am planning on getting up early and exploring somewhere I have never been before.

Have a Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone and be safe out there.

Getting Away to the Mountains

I'm not sure how, but it feels like summer is already coming to a close.  A week-long spell of cool weather and a few golden leaves on the tree out back hasn't helped.  Nor has the preseason football games and talk of fantasy football drafts.  It's times like these, when the windows for the best things in life are closing, that you remember how quickly time goes and that you need to appreciate all the fine things right in front of you.

 

A Red Sox pitcher hitting Alex Rodriguez on a 3-0 pitch, sleeping in on a Saturday morning, enjoying a nice cold beer on the back deck as the sun sets and the sky turns a rosy peachy shade just before dark, or, and more importantly, the fleeting opportunities to head to the mountains to spend a day in nature chasing high country cutthroat trout.

 

Following a stream to a high altitude lake full of cutthroats.

 

Getting high in the drainage and closer to the lake.

 

On this particular day, the three miles and 2,000+ vertical feet are daunting as the summer BBQ's, trips and lawn mowing have done nothing to prepare me.  January and February evenings on the treadmill mean nothing now as I breath heavily and deeply and stop to think how much farther there is to hike.  I am greeted with the rolling green splendor of the Colorado mountain high country.  No cars or trucks passing by, no dogs barking, no one yelling into a cell phone.  Only the wind blowing through the air and the muted gurgle of the nearby creek.

 

Cresting the last ridge to the lake.

 

I have been to this lake before and know that I am close.  That knowledge fuels my churning legs through the last steep pitch to the hidden jewel.  Within a few moments of reaching my goal, the pack is off and the cool mountain breeze cuts into the sweat on my back reminding me of the effort.  Shortly after, the rod is strung and the line is wet, standing on the shoreline waiting for that familiar splash and tug.

 





Finally on the water.

 





The fish were not overly aggressive or large today, but interested enough in dry flies to provide for some fun.  The timing of a high country cutty trip takes planning, but mostly luck. Last year, I was here too early.  Ice still covered a majority of the lake and a storm blew in over the towering ridge to the west.  Thunder echoed and my rod gave me tiny electrical shocks prompting an early retreat in a drenching downpour.  Two years ago, I hit this lake just right and had a glorious day.  This year, it was a fine day in the mountains, allowing me to leisurely enjoy my time.....dry and not scared of being electrocuted.

 

Typical cutty from my day on the water.

 

I am not a huge foodie.

 

So this crispy cream did the trick as an afternoon snack.

 

These next few weeks will be a somewhat frantic chase for me of the fine late summer weather and gorging high altitude trout before the cooler weather of fall blows in to begin the slow march toward winter.  Fall will find me fishing at lower altitudes, but for now, it's into the hills and after those cutty's.  Tomorrow, I plan on a trip to a small stream full of cutthroats, some still looking up for flies on the surface, where I will explore, investigate, bushwack, hopefully catch some fish and relax streamside with a beer or two and, perhaps, another donut.  While I can.

 

Enjoy your time on the water.

 

 



Spring Grand Mesa Trip - Colorado

I'm playing a bit of catch-up from a spring trip to one of my favorite spots in Colorado as we all know how busy summer can be with trips, fishing and mowing the yard.  In late June, I had the chance to make it back to the Grand Mesa in Colorado with friends, the wife and our dog.  The fly fishing wasn't the best as it was a bit early up there and it is always hard to fit in your fishing on a trip with non-fishers.   I did get some time on the water and got into some brookies and stocked rainbows.  I also had time to enjoy some canoeing, camping, exploring and relaxing around the fire.  Hope you enjoy my edit from a spring trip out to the Grand Mesa of Colorado, one of my favorite locations in the state.

 

We hadn't been out to this area since 2010 and had only made one trip before that, but I loved it and had been planning our return ever since.  Below is an edit from our 2010 fall canoeing and fishing trip which had me hooked.

 

 

Enjoy everyone!  There is plenty of summer fishing yet to be had.  I'm getting out tomorrow for some high country cutty's.

Reprieve from the Summer Heat

I caught a quick afternoon fly fishing session after a brief rain shower moved through.  Had to wait it out at the car due to lightening, but that gave me plenty of time to rig up and enjoy a beer.  Pretty good dry fly action followed with a few landed on a beatis emerger.  I love this section of creek, but water temperatures are starting to push maximum levels for trout fishing.  Daily air temperatures did drop a few days later and continued afternoon rain showers brought temperatures back down to the mid 60's.  I'm heading for the east coast this weekend so I won't be able to make it out for a while, but am hoping I can get back on the water here at least once more before it's too warm to fish.  Enjoy your days over the weekend if you can get out on the water.

And have a safe and happy 4th of July.

Start of Summer

Temperatures are heating up along the front range of Colorado.  It's still 85 degrees at our house in Denver and its 10:00 at night.  Last weekend was the same, hot, sunny, leaving you not wanting to do anything but lounge inside in the air conditioning.  Or....go hit the local creek to see how she was holding up.  And since I cant stand cabin fever, winter or summer, I had to get out.

Flows were down and insect activity was up.  Mostly smaller bugs with just a few mayflies and caddis around.  However, a parachute adams and yellow mayfly produced on top for a few hours in the afternoon and evening.    This creek heats up in the summer so there might only be a few weekends left to fish it responsibly before the water temps are too high to risk stressing the fishy inhabitants.  Hope you enjoy a view of my relaxing evening out on the creek.

Brown Trout and a Muskie Sighting

Brown Trout and a Muskie Sighting

Got out last weekend and found a muskie hanging out in a small creek with some brown trout. Didn't catch the muskie, but it was fun to see it in there. Should be hot here in Denver this weekend and I'm excited to get out of the city and onto some water. Have a good one everyone.