Make the Cast!!!

The world out your window.

2011-09-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am not sure where this is going to end up. I will start with letting you know that I am many flights from Key West. I am looking out the window at blowing snow. Snow being pushed by winds in the 75 to 80 knot range. Wind chill is probably near neg 60? Ambient temp is right around zero. Pretty warm eh?

The "house" is filled with 6 of us. Lots of reading,sleeping and some communication. Talking is pretty tough because the wind sounds like a train passing through the front yard. We were planning on heading back to McMurdo in the a.m. tomorrow. I have a feeling that we will be here for at least 3 more days. You want to know the best part of this? This is my job. A co-worker and I came out to secure a small antenna that is mounted on a 10 foot tower. At this point we have only been able to get outside to apply what we hope will be a sufficient band aid to the bobbling rocking antenna. I hope the little fella makes it for a few more days. The upcoming football season hangs in the balance for the U.S. Antarctic program at McMurdo Station. Anyway. The above photo is what was left of the dome after the last big blow from this time last year. I think we broke 105 knots during this storm.

I hope your day is less dramatic and that you are able to get outside and get in the H2O.

Made it!!!

2011-06-01T05:28:00.001-07:00

So after much effort and time I am finally in Key West with a flats boat. I bought the boat in Islamorada at the Islamorada Boat Center. If you are ever looking for a boat down here I would suggest that you give Jen a call.

I was lucky enough to have two friends with me for the maiden voyage of my boat. Even though the boat is only 17' having a couple of extra hands around was a big help when docking and navigating the narrow back country channels. We have mainly been tarpon fishing. Hooked a few and finally got one to the boat yesterday. Big fish that was probably close to 100 lbs. He was still a little green but I got excited and wanted to land this fish. We had chased him around for over an hour and a half already. I leaned over the rail of the boat and grabbed the leader. The tarpon was still keeping his head down and that big tail was moving from side to side. I was able to raise the fish and just when I thought I was going to be able to grab his bottom lip the line broke. !@#$!@ So no pics. That's alright. Probably a bit better for the fish. He did not hesitate to swim right off. All part of the learning process.

I have many more stories to write about but now I must pack and get ready to catch a flight later today.

Adios.

Just a little setback.

2011-04-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

I can hear my name being called over the intercom system in Tampa airport right now.

"Final call for Mr. Asher, Mr.Asher please report to check in immediately."

Sorry Tampa. I am still in Denver. Not going to make the flight.

I just wanted to catch you up on what has been happening with Operation Fla. Keys. We have been a little delayed in getting the show on the road. I took my truck in for a check up and an alignment a few days before I was scheduled to leave. I new the truck was old and could use some love but I was not prepared for the news I got from TWO separate garages.I will spare you the details but it was pretty much thousands of dollars needed to get the old truck up to speed again. I decided to invest my time and money into a new truck. The last week and a half have been full days of driving all over Denver looking/driving/and researching used trucks.

Just when I thought I had found the truck for me I came across a late night listing on C-list. I called first thing in the morning and put down a deposit that afternoon. I am the proud new owner of a Toyota Tundra. Very pleased so far and am looking forward to pulling a flats boat with it later this month.

I am picking it up today and with a little luck can pack tonight and be on the road in the a.m..

I AM BACK!!!

2011-04-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

O.K. it has been awhile since any activity on this little experiment of mine. I apologize to the handful of visitors. Thanks for stopping by I do appreciate the interest. So just a quick recap of the previous months. Spent 6 months working down south again in Antarctica. Great season. Lots of very interesting projects to work on. Finally finished a project that has taken 3 years to pull off. Nice to put that one to bed. My girlfriend and I just made it back to the states a couple of days ago. We spent 4 weeks cycling around Tasmania. The trip was a great experience. We definetly had some hard days along the way. I did not really do any sort of "training" for the trip and would have to suggest to anyone considering a bike trip,you get yourself on some sort of workout routine prior to day one. Like I said we had some hard days and I cant help but think that if I were in better cycling shape those days would have been easier. In my defense it is very hard to get into cycling shape while in Antarctica. In the end though I felt stronger and had even broken in my new saddle.Well broke in my back side along with the saddle is probably a better explanation of what happened. Now to the fishing that is coming my way. For months I have been looking at flats boats and places to rent in Key West. For so long it all seemed so far away that it did not even seem real. Well now I am about 4 days from leaving Colorado headed for Florida. I am going to make a go of it down there for a few months this year.My goal is to find the right boat and then fish every day until I leave in July. I can not get my fingers to describe how excited I am. I will keep you posted on the adventure as things develop. Currently I am packing,getting the truck sorted out,and planning my route. Pretty much go east and take a right somewhere around St Louis. I am meeting a friend in a couple of weeks who will be joining me on the first part of the trip.I am looking forward to hanging out with him as well as having him around when looking at boats. I hope that once I find the boat we will be able to get it in the water before he has to head home. Adios.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2011-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

I hope that all of you are enjoying 2011 so far. I am sure that all are busy at the bench cranking out new patterns and stockpiling old proven patterns for the coming months. The time that we all yearn for is creeping towards us.
As I right this I am at the South Pole. Pretty much as far from any sort of fishable H2O as one could be. I have a little over a month left in Antarctica until I leave. I will not be fishing until April? and that will be in the Keys. Oh the Keys!!! I cant wait.
I am currently in the process of deciding if I should buy a boat and head to the Keys for a couple of months this year. I am at a spot in my life where chasing this dream is an actual possiblity. I still have heaps of logistics to work out prior to driving south. I will admit that this endeavor seems a bit daunting and at some moments a bit too big. With no struggle there is no progress. I think that is a Frederick Douglas quote.
So for now I ponder and try to keep my hands warm. If any of you have any input about the idea of taking a chance with a flats boat I would love to hear it.
Tightlines (hopefully soon) and Happy New Year.
Adios.

The jobsite.

2010-09-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

A far cry from a day on the H2O. I dont have anything fishy to talk about these days. Not a bad day. Actually a pretty good day to be on a tower. A little sunlight,not too much wind and no major damage over the winter to the tower and antennas. Things here are going fine. Been working in the shop welding up some antenna mounts this week. Nice to have something to do that is out of the wind.

I am regretting not bringing a rod with me this year. Not to fish with. To simply cast would be nice. Only a few months more down here until I can get back on the H2O.

Nothing but frozen H2O around here.

2010-08-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

Well we made it back to the bottom of the world. I wish that I could tell you I was able to fish while I was in transit to Antarctica. Not the case. Late winter early spring in the land of the Kiwi. I am back at work as of two days ago. My time off the ice went quickly once I left the Bahamas and the Keys. I fished a few days out west before heading back to help out with some family issues. All is good on that front now. Felt fortunate to be able to help out and spend some time with the family.

Now back to work. Going to spend the next 6 months hanging from towers cussing the cold and wondering how I ended up down here. Not sure when I will get in the warm salt H2O again. I will devise a plan in the coming months. Ah the coming months. Sweet relief aint so close right now. I will no doubt end up on a tower thinking back to my time in shorts on a flat looking for bones. I will use the memories in an attempt to warm up my numb fingers and stave off the impulse to quit my job and go somewhere warm.

Make a cast for me.

Cheers.

Look into the eye!!!

2010-07-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Nice to meet you!!!

2010-06-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

Not the biggest fish of all time but still spectacular. The last day in the Keys we went out for a few hours. Took a guy out for his first time and this is how he did. Not too bad at all. Got pretty lucky in my opinion. Late in the day and not the best conditions. 3 to 4 foot seas and not all that many fish rolling on the surface. They are such cool fish arent they? After you have watched a fish like this try to get back to his normal life with all of his might you are become overjoyed when you get him to the boat and then even more overjoyed when you watch him swim away.

I have more pics that I will post later. Now it is time for dinner.

Cheers.

Chasing Tarpon in Key West.

2010-05-30T22:37:00.001-07:00

Just a quick transmission from Key West.
Been here for a week so far. Have been able to get out on a boat 3 times so far. May be able to fish once more before leaving town. The tarpon are here in very large numbers. Hooked up with 4 fish today. Broke two off and had the other two spit the hook. Wanted to get one to the side of the boat and get some close up shots with my new H2Oproof camera. No luck though. Probably better for the fish to keep the contact with humans and fishing rods as short as possible.
Poked around on a few different flats so far. Saw some good sized schools of permit a couple of days ago. Had the flyrod involved and my spirits were high. Also I was trying to remain realistic about my chances of having everything come together for a shot at a fish. Had some quick fleeting chances at shots. Had a chance at everything coming together on one group of fish. Swimming right towards us. Not too much wind. And they did not seem to be spooked. We not any spookier than they normally seem to be when on a flat. Just as John turned the boat so that I could get a cast off, the fish blew up and took off. Really seemed like things were headed in the right direction. Sounds like my experience is pretty typical of flyfishing for permit. I still enjoyed the day.
On the flats today we did not see any bones or permit. I kind of suspect the recent full moon has something to do with it. I am wondering if bones,permit and tarpon feed all night during the full moon and then sleep it off during the daylight hours.The Tarpon we saw today did not seem to be too serious about feeding. The Tarpon are also keyed in on the Paololo worm hatch right now. I am hoping the worms keep doing their thing and we are able to play tug of war with a Tarpon as a result.
The flats fishing is almost over for me this year. I have been in or very near the saltwater for almost 2 months. Very pleased with the way things have worked out. I always hope for more fish but I am grateful for the fish I have caught. I hope that I am able to spend some more time down here next year. Actually many years to come is the ultimate goal.
Adios.

Lutra Bones.

2010-05-21T07:06:00.001-07:00

So many things to write about the past 5 weeks. Where to start? I went to Eleuthera with the idea of staying for 2 weeks. Ended up staying for 5!! Not a bad run at all. Many reasons to pick this Bahamaian island. For me the main reason was the access to bonefish flats without the need or a guide or boat. Both of these would have most likely meant more fish for me to cast to. However, I did find fish to cast to on my own. Not as many as I would have liked to have seen. I hired a guide for one day. Kind of a unique situation. Due to the close proximity of the flats to the beach my guide drove me around the island from flat to flat looking for fish. I think we fished about 6 different spots. 3 of them I fished the day before and caught fish. I was not all that pleased with the guided day. I was hoping to learn a little more than I did. My guide seemed to like driving through the settlements honking and stopping to talk with everyone we saw more tan fishing. I guess it was part of the Bahamian "chevy flats boat" experience.Actually had pretty poor conditions. Not much sun and quite a bit of wind. Tides were not in our favor either.
So to the fish. This was my first time to flyfish for bones. I battled wind like never before. I walked and walked. I stared at the h2o for hours. I drove from spot to spot. I drank and ate on absolutely gorgeous beaches. I saw sharks,cuda,turtles, numerous birds,mangroves,and not too many fishermen. On top of all of that I saw bonefish. I am not going to paint too rosy of a picture here. Yes I did have great days of fishing. I also had days of no fish and wind that just kicked my ass. I still fished everyday regardless of the wind. I would look at the 20 knot days as a chance to practice my casting. In my opinion a 20 knot wind is almost too much trouble. Better to find a beer and a book or go snorkeling. Not to say that I would not walk out the door right now and fish a flat in a 20 knot wind if I could. I guess that brings me to the best thing about "Lutra". You can walk out the door,get in the car and be on a flat within minutes. I do not know of many places in the world where this is possible. If any of the 3 people reading this do, please let me know. I will keep looking too.
So now I am back in Colorado for another day. Then off to the Keys in the a.m. A couple of weeks in Key West will be good. Just talked to my friend who really lives the dream down there. He is a flats guide. A life that I am jealous of. The Tarpon fishing has been good the last couple of weeks. I am hoping that things stay good and I am able to hook up with a silverking on a flyrod. Also hoping that the BP trainwreck gets sorted out soon.
Time to pack my one bag and check my gear.
Adios.

A full day of chasing ghosts.

2010-05-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

6a.m.
Wake up start the coffee.
Make something to eat.
Pack the cooler.
Out the door by 7 or 7:30(hopefully)

The rest of the day consists of looking into the H2O trying to spot bonefish before they spot me. Have been getting some spots dialed in recently. Still learning with each fish.I am very pleased with what my life is based around right now. Fishing is the centerpiece of everything.
I am a little tired right now so I will keep this short.
Yesterday I encountered my first tailing fish. Fish that have their faces buried in the soft bottom of a flat rooting around for some little critter that is trying to avoid fullfillng their place in the food chain. When I see tails I get pretty excited. Just to be able to watch a fish in such shallow H2O root around is something that I think everyone should see. Also I am learning that if you can find tailers and get a cast at them you can pretty much drop it in on top of them. Of course a delicate presentation is still needed.Also something I am working on.
I am working on my technique everyday. I like the challenge of chasing bones. I have to say that catching a few has bolstered my spirits. I keep finding myself smiling at the fact that after all of the time on the ice thinking of flats fishing I am finally doing it.
O.K. time for bed. Maybe one more beer too.
Tightlines!!!

2010-04-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

O.K. So here we are in the rain. Well,this photo was taken a couple of days ago. I remember it well. First reel bone on a flyrod. I had picked up two bones the day before in a little trough between two sandbars. This fish was my first in a school of feeding/cruising bonefish.

I was growing a bit frustrated with the repeated denials from this giant school of fish that in my opinion just had to eat. In typical fashion I was throwing the box at them. "Should I have tied a different fly on?"" I think a non slip mono loop is the best knot." "Does it really give more likelike action to the fly?" "Does it really matter?" "What the fuck is the problem here?" Most importantly to this whole affair. Kind of like the questions we all asked at some silly dance. "Am I doing this right?" "I wonder if she really likes me?" "Shit man what if she kisses me?" "What to do then???!!!"

O.K. back to the fish. So like I said I was getting down on myself. I then tied on a little crab. A crab tied by a guy in Denver. Check out the Denver Angler if you are ever trapped in the concrete suburbs and need a little relief. After two casts with the little crab pattern a bonefish grabbed it and ran . I will never forget the feeling of the fish running towards me faster than I could recover line. I will also never forget the sight of my line ripping through the water at such an alarming rate. "Surely I will lose this fish."The fish had damn near beached itself before I could regain tension. I am having a hard time explaining it. I had my rod held high above my head. The fish was at 5 oclock. My rod was at 3 oclock. Between my line and the water there was a perfect crystal window of suspended water. Water stretched between my flyline and the carribean. I could see through the crystal window for just a minute. I was a little torn. Kind of a cool thing to look through. Also, I am here to try to learn about bonefishing and also to catch some bonefish. Luckily the window collapsed like a broken promise and I was able to concentrate on the fish again. I know that anyone who has caught bonefish knows from the picture that this is no lifetime fish. An average fish on an average day for most.Not for me though. First one is the deepest, as they say. So somehow I was able to compose myself and wrap my hands around this torpedo of a fish. I felt the fish and looked at it very briefly before releasing it back into the world it needed to be in. I wanted to look at it more but felt a sense of urgency in getting it out of my hands. Seems a little strange to me. I wanted to put a steel hook in this creatures mouth and then at the same time also did not want to "disturb" it too much. WTF??!! I felt that I needed to return this evolutionary marvel back to the watery world below as soon as possible. How should I wrap this up? Oh I know. I have been enjoying a bit o tequila with the Bahamian beer Kalik (sounds like it is spelled, really KALIK) Dont emphasize a thing just say it like it is spelled.When we first made it to Eleuthera we had a bottle of decent duty free tequila. The type that you can drink with ice and a little lime. Some sort of a super clean margarita. No salt, no sugary mixers etc. Just a little lime. Well the evolution of the tequila drinking along with the timeline of this trip has done two things. One has resulted in trying to buy the best tequila on the island. Sure,when you are here for 14 days you want the so-called best. Once you decided to spend another 3 weeks here and you realize that you are not going back to work until August you feel otherwise.Now that the trip has been extended by a few weeks the cheap tequila is a needed commodityA real coupon cutter of an idea. Buy cheap tequila and with the money you save you can buy a bushel of limes. You will also want to buy or farm a bunch of ice in your little freezer.

Cheers.

2010-04-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hooked up at last. Been here in Eleuthera for about a week. Thinking of sticking around for another 3 weeks. Still learning a boatload about fishing the flats. Man I have seen some spooky fish. Spooked some,blown some casts, broke a few off and have probably just not seen some while so intently looking for them.

I have had a good time and at the same time I have been frustrated too. I just feel like I have not had that many shots at fish. I am still trying to get the place dialed in. Lots of windshield time heading from one spot to another. Meeting people that keep saying "OH Man you have to go to this spot!!" So of course I do. Only feels like I am a day late and a dollar or two short by the time I get there. So now I am done with all of the driving and am going to stick closer to "home".

This whole trip may take a drastic change after a phone call to the airline in the morning. I am hoping that things go well and I am sloshing around in the Bahamas for another 3 weeks!

2010-04-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

What is the problem with wealthy landowners? I get so fed up with people trying to lock up land/rivers because they either "bought" or in many cases inherited some piece of the planet. What fucking right do you have to tell me I can not wade "below the normal high water mark" and fish? What right do you have to tell someone that they can not float over top of "your" streambed? I am sorry for the angry tone of this. The state that I call home is Montana. In 1984 many of the state legislature had enough forsight to create the Montana Stream Access law. Pretty much keeping rivers open to all to enjoy and benefit from. I am grateful for this law. I am at the same time a little saddened by the fact that such a law needs to exist. This law has come under fire since its birth. Hopefully the pet lobby of whatever industry and the hefty donators will not be able to sway things the wrong way in the future. I believe we all have the right and in some cases the responsibility to explore the waterways of our home. Whitewater boating,fishing,hunting,float tubing are all extremely valuable to the well being of the people enjoying these activites as well as the river itself. If access is restricted good luck trying to convince people to give a shit about your blessed property.

The reason for this anger driven blog is due to the current situation in Utah. There has been a movement to change the access laws in Utah. The gov. can vote on this law and veto it or do nothing and let it become law!!! How can doing nothing be an option? Something that will affect such a large group of people should most certainly have to be voted on. In my opinion the people should vote on it. In Colorado there is a ballot initiative that will be voted on by the people this Nov. Stream access is already a mess in Co. but the rich are not satisfied yet. A rich out of state developer is trying to limit access even more on the Taylor river.I truly hope that the people of Colorado will do what is right for the people of Colorado.

In the words of Ed Abbey. "Pick up a rock and throw it through something big and glassy". I am paraphrasing but you get the point.

First one of the year.

2010-04-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

So today was my first day back on the H2O. Snowing when I finally got out the door. I will admit that with the snow and 17 degree temp it was easy to linger over another cup of coffee. Finally made it to the river around 11am. As I was layering up the sun started to poke through the clouds and the wind started to lay down. My spirits were improving to say the least. The walk to the river was not bad at all. Kind of cool to be trudging through knee deep snow with a fly rod in my hand. The H2O level in the river is very low. Not too much deep H2O at all. I fished a little run of the deepest I could find with no success. Well I will admit it did feel great to cast a fly again. Even a double nymph rig with a cheater brought a smile to my face. I walked a little farther down and was basically enjoying the day. The sun was full on and the wind was non existent. Alright alright. I even stopped at the little hatchery pond and made a few casts. Picked up a little brown. I felt a little guilty about it. Pond fish next to a hatchery. Kind of lame. These ponds are usually getting hammered by the egg throwers and the worm dunkers. No disrespect but that just aint my thing. I moved on after that. Made it to a section that I figured would hold fish. Much to my suprise this little run had rising fish in it. I watched them for a few minutes. Realistically probably no more than 4 or 5 minutes until I could not take it anymore and had to take a shot.I tied on a dry to take a shot. I could not tell what the fish were rising to so I threw the box at them. Not one take. One or two looks but no contact. I then went back to the nymph rig. Sure enough I picked up the fish in the photo. Felt so good to feel a fish on the end of the line. Not the biggest fish but a fish all the same. I landed him quickly and pulled out the camera. I dont take too many pics of fish. I usually fish alone and dont want to stress the fish anymore than needed. This one was an exception due to the first fish of the season status. So thanks to the brown trout that made my opening day a success. I have to say that I would rather be on a flat but in the mountains casting at trout aint so bad.

2010-04-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

So a little out of focus but you get the point. I think that the berg in the background helps to explain what is about to happen. Went something like this. I show up take off my shirt and think. Not long enough to come to my senses. I then jump in.BOOM!!!! I was duck hunting with a friend and his dog Moose. Cold Montana duck hunting weather. When we finally made it back to the boat ramp Moose was apparently ready to go home. With no hesitation he jumped out of the boat only to vanish beneath the icy water of the Flathead river. My friend and I kind of laughed and looked at each other and then back to the ring created by Moose. We waited. Well old Moose came up dog paddling with a look that said"What the hell was that about? I thought I could touch here".

SO when I hit the water I had a reaction similar to Moose.I came up to the top as quickly as I could. Trying not to hyperventilate and keep myself calm. I have never had such a "refreshing" event happen to me in all of my life. I would suggest that you all give it a shot if you are given the chance. I would advise caution to those with questionable heart conditions. To all of you with a sense of self preservation and the ability to think things through. you can go to hell. Just kidding. I am only mildly jealous of your superior mental ability.

2010-04-01T11:07:00.001-07:00

Just a little reminder of what is to come. Going to hook up with a big poon on a fly-rod this year. May be a life changer. Quit fooling around with trout and the mountains for awhile. Standing on the casting platform of a flats boat looking for tails. Might be the way things go for me.

If its snowing I'm going???

2010-04-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

That is an often heard saying in ski towns across the Rockies. Actually more of a lifestyle statement or a personal credo. At one point in my life not too long ago I adhered to this mantra. Right now as I sit here with a glass of scotch the only "going" I am concerned with is the upcoming trip to the Bahamas.

Well here we are again. Back in the Rockies in late March. I have been on a flat casting to tailing fish for the past few months. Soaking up the sun. Drinking rum. Enjoying not being at work and not cold. Sounds like a good time. All of this is a lie. I have been in Antarctica since August. I have only been on a flat in my mind. Pretty much used the images of blue water and the sound of line ripping through the water the same way a POW uses thoughts of apple pie and women to get through. I am back in the land of wind and snow. Actually kind of pretty but I am not into it. The Bahamas and bonefish are waiting for me. Just a couple of weeks until I am on a plane and then knee deep in warm salt H2O!!!
Last year at this time I was on a ski trip. Drove from Colorado to Montana stopping along the way to make some turns. Saw friends,found some good snow, and enjoyed the journey.Not this year. Ready to warm it up a bit. So alas. Here I am surfing the worldwideweb looking at pictures and reading about what is to come. Bring it on.

Frozen H2O

2009-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Browntown

2009-09-11T20:54:00.001-07:00

I am writing this from McMurdo Station Antarctica. Fishing season is over for me. Actually ended about a month ago when I left Colorado for the east coast.

The trip to visit friends and family was a good one. My friends are looking older and a little more adult like. Kind of freaked me out a little. Kids and mortgages really make the top of the list as the years roll past.

I enjoyed seeing all of them. A friend of mine said that I looked relaxed. I laughed at him and said "I should look relaxed, I have not worked for months and I have been fishing just about every day." He smiled and agreed.

So like I said. I am writing from the most southern continent on the planet. I think the temp is somewhere in the -30 range. We have seen it bottom out around 90 below already this year. That is the wind chill not the ambient temp. Still a sharp shock to the face when you head outside. All the days on the H2O this summer serve as a mental rolodex of images that I flip through often down here. I am glad to be back working and making a paycheck again. I am trying to avoid the temptation to daydream about trout,streamers,tarpon,permit,cold beer,and all of the other things in my life that I do when it is warm.

So for all 3 of you that read this I will tell you a little about McMurdo. Right now we have some snow on the ground. May seem like a shock that I mention that at all. In the middle of the austral summer we are dealing with more blowing dust than blowing snow. The snow melts and the brown ground beneath us makes the place look more like a mining town than what you might expect down here. We are on an island in the Ross Sea. Actually not on the continent of Antarctica. You could make the case that due to the permanent ice shelf that extends from the continent to us we are connected to Antarctica. For anyone who disputes this trivial detail I say go stuff yourself.

Anyway. I am here for about 6 months. 6 months of working 6 days a week 10 hours a day. Sounds a bit like a sentence. Feels a bit like one too on some days. I like my job though. I say that now as I sit in a warm building with fingers that are not too cold to type. There are other days when I cant feel my fingers that I wonder where I went wrong. How the @!#$ did I end up down here??!! I can not explain the cold any other way than to say that it, to me is just different levels of pain. The colder it is the more painful it seems to be on my skin. Well at least until you lose the feeling in your fingers. Seems to almost always hurt the face when on a tower. O.K> not all the time but at least those are the times I remember the most. So like I said 6 months down here. I will do my best to hold off thoughts of travel and fish for at least a few more weeks.

I have my complete fly fishing arsenal in storage in New Zealand. I will fish again in a few months. I just have to make it through the next few months first.

Adios.

Put down the streamer.

2009-07-21T21:31:00.001-07:00

I cant help but keep fishing streamers. Each morning I rig up either a dry/dropper or a nymph rig. Each morning I fish said rig for at least a handful of casts. I then decide that I would like to move some fish and cover some water. I then tie on a big piece of bunny fur. Usually I end up hooking fish pretty quickly. Today I was using what was pretty much a saltwater fly. Caught a nice brown right out of the gates. I then tried another new streamer with only a few strikes and no fish. I am sure that some folks look down on this type of fishing when the bugs are active and the water levels are at summer flows. I read that streamer fishing is to dry fly fishing what rock and roll is to Beethoven. I agree.
Tommorrow I will fish again and try to resist the urge to throw big wet chickens through the air. Not sure how long it will last. I am trying to learn how to guide people on these rivers. Casting streamers means being able to cast within inches of the bank,work a big fly, and hopefully handle bigger fish. None of these are what the first timer should be concerned with. Well when the day comes to take out my first guided trip I will have to resist the urge and put the streamer box away. Not this summer though. Next year maybe but not this year.
"Its only rock and roll but I like it"
Adios.

Feed the addiction.

2009-07-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

I have now fished somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 days this summer. I am running out of time. My deployment to Antarctica is edging closer with each day. I have not counted how many fishing days I have left. I am going to try and fish as much as possible before my summer comes to a screeching extreme stop.
Last week I fished the Taylor river. Sat morning and the river was full of fisherman. I knew what to expect but decided to give it a go anyway. I caught a couple of fish before tragedy struck. One of my reels decided to stop working. I think that the drag mechanism seized up. The reel came with a Sage rod as a combo from Cabelas. I bought the combo about 3 years ago. Not very long ago and certainly not long enough to justify the end of the line for the reel. Needless to say,the day was taking a turn towards the toilet. On the tailgate of my truck with a leatherman I tried to open the reel up. Not the best idea. I then came home and called Cabelas about a warranty or a repair job. I was told that they dont repair their reels. ??? I was given the option of sending the reel in for a look and they will decide if it is worth anything. The kicker came when the voice on the phone said that the process will take 2 or 3 weeks!! Not an option. I then went out and bought a new reel. Wow what a difference spending a couple of hundred dollars on a reel will make!! I am now the owner of a reel that looks as good as it feels. Landed a couple of big fish on it so far. Caught a nice 20 inch bow yesterday. The drag worked like a well machined piece of equipment. Very happy with the new purchase. O.K. I need to get on the H2O. I will let you know how the fishing is at a later point.
Adios.

3 Weeks left

2009-07-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is going fast. I am leaving the gunnison valley for a trip East 3 weeks from yesterday. The trip is one that is I am looking forward to. Visiting family and friends before heading back to Antarctica. I wont be doing much fishing while I am out East. All the more reason to try and fish every day while I am here. Today is my 30th day of fishing so far this season. Not going to set any records but I am enjoying being on the water.
Still thinking about guiding next summer. We will see how it turns out.

Paint when you can.

2009-07-09T20:03:00.001-07:00

I did not fish today. I ended up working late on the house painting project. We are going to start a little late tomorrow. I don't have to be there until 9 a.m.. Which means if I can get some food in my belly and then get into bed I can get up at 5:45. With a little luck and coffee I can be on the river for a couple of hours before work. Not sure what the fish will be doing. I will most likely pound the banks with rabbit fur. Perhaps a big sleepy eyed brown will make the move for a breakfast meal when given the chance.
Company coming this weekend. No fishing until Monday next week. Tomorrow morning is the last chance for a few days. Better not get myself into this position too often this summer.
Adios.

First week of Summer.

2009-07-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July arrived with sun and warm breezes. Now really feels like summer in the mountains. Interesting how when the warm weather arrives so do the out of town visitors. Is there some phone line that they can call for an up to the minute report on the conditions in town?
I have not fished much this week. Fished in a lake on the 5th. Nothing on a fly. Caught some on some metal flies. Went out with a group of friends. Helped a buddy with his cast and talked about fly fishing with him. Not bad day at all.
Fished in the East on Tuesday. The bugs are pretty thick at times and the fish are full at times during the day. I have been on a big streamer adventure lately. To the point of trying to only fish with the big flashy fuzzy flies. I tried the chuck and duck technique to no avail on tuesday. I tied on an Elk Hair Caddis and started poking around a little. Two likely spots held nice fish. The second spot was not much more than a foot deep if that. A little log had been lodged against the bank allowing a little eddy to form. I cast my fly just upriver of the little eddy.Sure enough a nice brown made the move from the cover of the log and took a swipe at the fly. The rod bent over with much more force than I expected. I thought that the current combined with an excited fish was the cause of the extra force. Then I saw the fish flash as he came out away from the bank. This fish was much bigger than I thought. The current was a factor in the weight on the end of my line but the fish that was so doggedly pulling towards his log and undercut bank were much more of the reason for the weight I was feeling.
So after a little downstream scramble and some frantic rodwork(I really did not want to lose this fish) I was able to bring him to the net. A nice 18 inch brown. Not the biggest fish but a nice fish just the same.
I am in the process of helping a friend paint a house. I have been enjoying the work quite honestly. I am not fishing as much as I was last week or the past few weeks for that matter. I think the break is good. Actually this is probably the best week of the season so far. Water levels are down and water color is clearing. The crowds are coming too.
The river that I have fished the most has changed so much with the lower water levels that it seems like a new place. I am going to have learn the river again at this new level. I am going to fish this evening. Next week I am going to be back on the fishing every day schedule.
I hope I can make it that long.

Junuary

2009-06-29T20:37:00.001-07:00

Ah spring in the Rockies. While the rest of the country is well into barbeque season, things out here are a little different. When I first arrived in town spring run-off was on the downward slope. The rivers were still high and a little off color. I wanted to fish and fish I did. Not anyone else around and the fish were at least a little willing to eat flies.
Water levels were coming down. Each day I would look to the mountains and see plenty of snow. Snow that will have to come down into the river at some point. Well as luck would have it this was one of the least enjoyable Junes in quite some time. Everyone in town is eagerly awaiting the start of summer. This last month was full of rain,cooler temps and plenty of overcast days. Now I cant tell anyone this but I was secretly reveling in the poor conditions. The locals were calling the last month Junuary.I knew that the weather patterns were keeping the snow on the mountains and out of the rivers. I also knew that the time would come when the snow made the long journey that turns snow into water and that water turns into muddy fast moving un-fishable water. The last two weeks have been full of muddy fast water. Water levels are up to where they were about 15 days ago. just today the dipped below the 1000 cfs mark. So I will say that it now looks like things are going to shape up this week. I had forgotten that summer does not start in some parts of the country until 4th of July. So lets hope that we dont have an abnormal July. I think we are do for some good weather.
Have a good summer.

Watch your fly.

2009-06-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Since the last word party about tailwater fishing I have been to the same section of river 4 times. I fished hard for 3 days straight. Hooked a couple of giant fish. Saw them flash once or twice while they were shaking their head in an attempt to dislodge the little hook in the corner of their mouth. This technique is actually very succesful. A little something to think about if ever you are in a similar spot. The first day I was pretty much down to the last seconds of the 4th quarter deep in my own territory when I finally was able to get a fish to the net. Wasnt the fish of a lifetime but none the less a nice 18 inch bow. Made my day. Also made me want to come back the next day even earlier. On the following trip I was able to land 3 nice fish. Oh I actually picked up a fish on a dry fly.
The 3rd day was starting out on a good note. On my first cast I hooked up with a fish. I can still picture the bruiser in my head. I can also picture his head thrashing back and forth in the current behind a rock until my line snapped!!! I hooked up with a couple of other fish that morning. Then the rain came. Came and came and came in sheets. Fished for a little while but decided that I had seen enough.
So I took a couple of days off for the weekend and went back this morning. Nice thing about not working is that you can get off the water on the weekend just when the crowds of good decent working folks get on the water. I like being on the opposite schedule as the teeming masses in the real world.
Today I landed one fish and hooked a couple more. The river had been raised by the keepers of the dam. Not too much but maybe enough to change things a little. The fishing seemed a little slower. I was not on the water until 11 and the sun was high and hot. Maybe too bright. Not sure.
I still am learning more about tailwaters and the giant fish that slurp the smallest bugs I have ever seen.

2009-06-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

Tailwater Lessons.
The river that I would most like to fish is back up to levels that make things a little difficult. Off color and fast water make for less than ideal conditions. I did manage to catch a couple of nice fish the last time I fished. I suppose that is one of the benefits of fishing a stretch each day for a few weeks. You become familar with the little seams,pockets, and bends that can and most times do hold fish.
Well I have decided to make the attempt at fishing below the Taylor dam. They call this place the hawg trough. Typical tailwater fish. Fat and picky. These big dogs will sit and eat the mysis shrimp that were introduced in the resevoir above the dam. A little side note about the shrimp. These little shrimp were introduced to help sustain the kokanee salmon population. Good idea? A little more research should have been done. The shrimp are very sensitive to light. They stay down deep during the day and then move up into the shallows at night. Just the opposite of the fish they are supposed to sustain.
Well the Taylor river hawgs dont seem to mind. The fish grow big and fat below the dam. I am going to try again to convince a few of these trout to eat a well presented fly today. I will not be alone on this section of water. I am hoping to get there a little before the crowds and pick a spot to fish. All of this fishing is going to be done with 6x or 7x tippet. 2 lb test and a 5 pound fish is going to be tricky. I have rerigged my leader system. I still am new to the tailwater experience. We will see how much I pick up. Seems like each time I go I learn something new. In all honesty fishing side by side with a bunch of others,while we all are staring at strike indicators ie. bobbers is not my favorite way to fish. Due to the flow of other rivers this seems like a good time to give it a shot. So if all goes well today, my head will be full of new ideas and at least a couple of good fish tales.

2009-06-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

The East river is back up to around 1100 cfs. I fished yesterday and was a little put off by the color of the river. Things were really starting to come together. Clarity was getting better each day. Levels were dropping. The fish were starting to look up. On the drive home though I would always look up at all of the snow still hanging in the high country. Knowing full well that it will have to turn to river water at some point. I am not going to complain about too much water in any western state. I dont know if that is possible actually. Now it is making the big journey from the mountains down into the rivers. The weather did not turn summer like until just recently. The last two weeks we have been dealing with clouds,rain and snow. Therefore the false sense of spring runoff being over. I knew that we had not completly finished with the annual spring rite.
So now we fish in other creeks and maybe in the dam controlled Taylor. Actually fished the Taylor yesterday. Pretty fast water right now. I was able to persuade a 19" bow to take an elk hair caddis. He came up took a look,passed on it and then came back and inhaled the bug. I saw the fish and new he was of decent size but from the amount of line going out I thought he was much smaller. Not sure what the deal was. Hell he may have been caught that morning by someone else. He gave it up pretty easy though. Made for a quick release for him though without too much stress on him.
So today we will go for a hike. I will most likely fish a little creek this evening. Caddis have finally made their appearance. I know of a little spot that wont be blown out too bad.
I have fished the last 13 0f 14 days. I think those are pretty good numbers. One must get in as much as possible before the Texas floodgates open and we are shoulder to shoulder on the water.

2009-06-18T19:53:00.001-07:00

Well Hello. First I should say that the little picture of me is obvioulsy not anywhere near the Rockies. I was fishing in Key West a couple of years ago and landed my first Tarpon. I have caught a couple more since then but figured since this is my first attempt at a blog I would share a photo of my first Tarpon.
Now what is the point of this blog? Not exactly sure. I do know that I am fishing every day and each day I write down what I caught where I caught it and what I was using. So maybe this is just an extension of that. I will try to keep it to fishing as much as possible. There is a chance that I will get fired up about something and then unload on the keyboard. Oh well this is my blog afterall.