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St. Vrain Angler News
& Muse September 21, 2004
Greetings!
Welcome to
all of our new readers. I hope this finds everyone well,
 enjoying
the day that is today; a day that will never be again.
There is
gladness and joy, sadness and mourning this day. I just spoke with my mom and
one of her best friends died this morning of hear failure. He was old, and lived
a very full life. Still, she is sad. He took her to lots of musical productions
and performances and shared good times in church, at meals and so on. My mom is
a delightful woman who loves life, and she has lived long enough to see the loss
of friends and family members. On the other side of the pendulum swing is our
friend Scott McCaslin and his wife Heidi who just welcomed their first child,
Jordan Taylor - note the river names? - to their family. Scott is ecstatic.
Condolences and congratulations. Life goes one.
The
question for me always remains: how will we live it? Francis Shaffer asked the
question: How shall we then live?
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Over the weekend,
some of us went fishing, of course. Mark and I headed out at sunrise on
Sunday morning for the drive to Ft. Collins, then up Poudre Canyon, over
Cameron Pass and on to Walden. We joined our friend Dan for a big breakfast
at a local eatery and talk, then, surprised at how calm it was, headed to
Delaney Buttes for some fishing. Rainbows were rising on the glassy surface
and Mark and Dan figured them out, hooking several nice fish. Mark said he
caught several 30-inchers when he was out of our sight, but we know he lied.
They couldn't have been more than 28, if that. |
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We
whacked one fish for supper - Mark caught it, so he whacked it - and cleaned
it by the lake. The gulls were made happy. The fish's gullet - it was
probably about an eighteen inch fat fish - was stuffed with crawdads and
water boatman. Mark caught it on a midge adult. This goes to show you that
fish are opportunistic and love to eat. This fish was packed, and still
eating. Maybe it was eating midges because they were the only thing that
would fit! |
There were
crawdads all over the place; at least the remnants of crawdads. Claws, heads and
so on scattered the shoreline, and large trout cruised the edges. I assume they
were hunting for a warm water lobster dinner. If a mouse would have fallen into
the water they could have eaten a trout's version of Colorado surf and turf.
Yum! Fresh mouse.
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While I'm sure the gulls were doing their fair share of crawdad munching, we
verified that the fish were doing likewise. On the second day at Delaney, I
put on a bead headed muddler I just tied and on the first cast a rainbow
inhaled the fly! It looked kind of like a crawdad. Sort of like one, maybe. |
Mark and
Dan thought the crawdads in suppers stomach had an olive cast to them. I thought
they were sort of tannishbrownisholive or something like that. Whatever. The
fish were gobbling them, and this pretty rainbow enjoyed eating this fly, until
it fought back.
We've been
talking about fishing streamers recently, and it seemed like it was time to
share a shot of a fish with a streamer in its mouth. There you have it: they do
eat streamers if you'll fish them.
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Mark
also tied on one of his olive thinsparent scuds and caught a number of
lovely trout, including the brown shown here. Nice fish, huh? See the scud
in its mouth? We'll show you how to tie this fly, or set you up with a
few if you need them!
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We
fished the east lake, but saw lots of cruising browns on the North lake. They
are getting ready to pretend they want to spawn, and the
 colors
were lovely to see. If you have the time, head up to Delaney for a day of
fishing; you'll be glad you did!
Dan was
pretty happy to join us for the day, and Mark and I happily accepted his offer
to stay on the ranch. We brought chicken and pork tenderloins to cook out, and
as mentioned, decided to eat one fish as a sort of fall treat. Mark's a great
chef on a grill, and we ate way too much!
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After our early afternoon of fishing on the lake, we headed to Northgate
Canyon on the North Platte. Word was that the fishing had been very good
with dries - which was why I went with Mark on this outing - and the
hatches had been good. Dan mentioned that they had just had 18" inches of
very wet snow, most of which had melted, and we wondered about the river. As
it turned out, the water was more than double in flow what it had been and
was on the murky side. Oh well. We suited up and headed down to the river.
It didn't look much better up close, either. |
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This is a
beautiful spot, and the first time I'd visited it. The air was warm, the sky
clear and area stunningly beautiful. There were a few fish rising to very
small spinners - I really didn't see any adult insects emerging - along scum
lines. The glare was terrific, making it difficult to see any small dry fly,
but the challenge was great. I did get one fish to take my fly, but missed
the hook set. There was another trout eating from just along the edge of the
ever-moving scum line, cruising along right under the surface with his
dorsal fin exposed the entire time. As mentioned, the water was on the murky
side, but you could see the dark fish in the water, occasionally tipping up
to intercept a bug. I couldn't even get this fish to look at my fly. |
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Fishing a scum line can be interesting. If the flotsam that sits on the
surface of the water forms its own seams and edges, it is likely that bugs
get caught in this stuff. Fish seem to like sitting under the surface
clutter, perhaps feeling more safe and knowing they are in close proximity
to food. |
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Mark
got into a crouch in an attempt to be invisible to the fish, and made
several casts with a spinner pattern to a feeding fish. The bugs were
probably about a size 22! |
He
had luck consistent with my own, and we decided it was time to head back to
the ranch for some football, a beer and Mark's cooking! |
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While the grill fired up, we fished for some of Dan's pet steelhead in the
pond out back. They were eating midges and something else, and each of us
hooked one or two. Right now the fish are small - probably about 14", but by
this time next year, watch out! We'll report in as these fish merit!
As
we ate and the sun set, the snowcapped peaks to the east lit up. Mark made a
mad dash for the camera, and that's what we got. Another beautiful shot of a
lovely day with fiends, fly fishing. |
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As
you can see, this is rather a two-day travel log of a fishing trip. There
was some planning - we'd go when we went, for example - a bit of bantering
about who was going to have flies to fish with, shopping for beverages and
chow, and deciding when and where to eat breakfast.
It
seems the toughest part of the trip was deciding to go, and allowing
ourselves to do just that. I have so many things that I'd like to be doing
at this time, I thought about staying home and working on them. But I went,
and Mark and I bonded even more, and had a wonderful time with Dan, the
fish, the colors, the moose and so on.
In
light of all the goings on of the world, the issues that face us and which
seem more poignant yet sometimes less important in light of new life and the
passing of a wonderful friend, I wonder if Robert Traver had it right when
he said about fly fishing that he fished, "Finally not because it was that
important, but because the other endeavors of man were equally unimportant
and not nearly so much fun." Or something like that. |
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I hope you
will get out soon, and then get out again. The water conditions are great. The
Poudre looked wonderful, and for me was difficult to pass. All three Delaney
Buttes lakes are brim full and clear, with lots of healthy fish waiting for
exercise. I'll bet Northgate canyon will be back soon, and I heard reports that
the Animas, the Taylor and East river were all fishing well over the weekend.
The Kokanee salmon are arriving in the East in force, and waiting to be caught
by you! Make plans to fish.
We'll be
hosting a shop trip to the Poudre in the near future. Stay tuned for more
information as it develops. We're pretty sure we'll do a trip to 11-Mile Canyon
in November, as well.
Here are a
couple of basic lake fishing tips.
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Often, when
fishing lakes, you feel that you need to cast a little bit further.
Notice the position that Mark's rod and hands are in. The rod is
stopped, and his left hand is near the reel, holding the fly line as he
prepares to make a forward haul of the line to increase the line speed.
See the extra fly line in front of his body, waiting to fly out of the
guides when he lets the line go? This is a worthwhile technique to
practice and work on as it will open up a wider arc of fishing
possibilities. Want a lesson? Did you know that both Mark and I are
certified Fly Casting Instructors? Private casting lessons are
available, friends. We can help! |
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In this shot
you'll notice that Mark is standing on the bank and fishing along the
bank. His rod tip is low, which is the proper position when fishing a
lake. His hands are in a comfortable position, and ready to lift the rod
to set the hook on a fish. He is stripping line through the guides,
holding the line against the cork grip with his right hand, while
stripping line with his left hand behind his right hand and in front of
the reel. When his fish takes the fly, he'll pull the line a little
tighter to start the hook set. When the fish decides how to react, Mark
will lift the rod in proportion to the action, protecting the tippet and
holding onto the fish. |
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I hope
that helps. Please get out fishing soon. Let us help as you will. It's Fall! The
fishing is great! We know the streams and lakes, and we will help you with
flies, techniques, gear, directions and anything else that will allow you to
enjoy your time on the water. It's why we are here, and we hope you will take
advantage of us. Do it soon.
Here's what we're
doing:
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Free
Saturday Morning Clinics: Begin THIS SATURDAY, October 2, 2004. We'll begin at 10AM
and finish at about Noon. We provide coffee and donuts and all of the
instruction, as well as weekly treats of one sort or another. Please plan to
join the fun! |
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Fly
Tying Classes: please see the schedule below. We'd like to form an
Intermediate Fly Tying
 Class.
I'm thinking of meeting on Friday afternoon and teaching the class from
4-6:30PM. For those of you interested, what do you think? The first session
would be Flies of the Fall. I need six people to make this go.
Call us at 303-651-6061 to register, or drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com. Tuition will be
$60.00 and we'll meet three consecutive Fridays. |
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Shop
fishing trips: Mark and I will schedule one trip per month. One or both of us
will go. We'll leave on Saturday afternoon, drive to our destination and spend
two nights there. Trips like this have been loads of fun in the past. Hope you
will join us for the first one, which we will announce next week for October. |
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Shop
Hours: Beginning next week, we will be open Tuesday-Friday from 9:30-6:00, and
Saturday from 9:00-4:00. We will close on Monday for fishing trips, planning
and rest. If you ever need a special time with us,
we'll arrange a time to meet you outside of normal business hours. |
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The
Estes Angler is open 7-days a week from 9:00-5:00. This is a great time to
schedule a guided trip with one of our helpful, friendly guides. The fishing
is great, the streams are not crowded an it is beautiful out there. Call
970-586-2110, or 800-586-2110 to schedule a trip. If I can help in any way,
drop me a line at angler@peakpeak.com.
Thanks. |
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We're planning several Adventure Destination Trips. There is one opening for
Christmas Island from January 2-10, 2005. If you have the time, about $3500.00
and a valid passport, please join us. A great group is going, and we'd all
like one more person to join the fun. |
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Belize, 2005 will be from March 12-20th. Please let me know if you'd like to
join this outing. Great
 fun
at a great price. We do this as an ala-carte session, so everyone just pays
for what they do. There is wonderful fishing, delightful diving and
snorkeling, informative visits to Mayan ruins, and much more. We eat at local
restaurants, stay in a small hotel that is on the beach, and arrange fishing
and outings with local friends we've gotten to know during the years we've
been visiting Ambergris Caye. |
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Alaska 2005: We'll be going with our friend Ed Blank in August for some
fabulous floating and fishing. |
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Much
more on the way. Please stay tuned. |
Most people who
sign on to
get the email are interested in receiving info on
Classes and Guided Trips. Please
follow the links for updated info and schedules on what we offer. All of our
classes and guided trips are going great. People are learning and enjoying fly
fishing.
If you have a
special event for your business, a few friends, family members of any type
 of
club and need a program, please let us know. Fly fishing is entertaining and
both Mark and I enjoy doing instructive, entertaining programs as time allows. A
week ago Friday, Mark was at Peaceful Valley Lodge for a Colorado Division of
Wildlife program that encourages and teaches women to be avid outdoors people.
As you can see, Mark had everyone's attention as he taught fly tying basics. We
sure hope these wonderful ladies enjoyed his instruction, and that they'll enjoy
fly fishing in the future!
Fly Tying Classes are
scheduled through the Fall. Pick the one that fits your schedule and join us.
Classes are from 7-9:30 PM Tuesday
Evenings, and begin on the following dates:
September 14,
2004 October 19,
2004 November 16,
2004.
Please call to
register: 303-651-6061. I've just finished revising the Introduction to Fly
Tying Solutions Booklet, which we provide with the class. It promises to be more
helpful and useful.
TU
News!
The next Trout
Unlimited meeting will be held on Thursday, October 21, 2004
at VFW - please note the change! - in Longmont. The is at 206 S. Main
Street. The Tying Clinic and Social Hour will begin at 6:30PM; a short business
meeting will be held at 7:15, and the program will begin at 7:30. The Club will
bring hot dogs to sell and snacks to eat. The VFW will provide an open cash bar,
so sodas, beer and wine will be available.
Mark and I be tying flies
before the program, and we hope you will attend.
Board Meetings: Thanks to everyone who
has responded to this call to action. The next meeting will be held at the shop
on Thursday, October 7, 2004 at 6:30. We
 do a Dutch Treat for pizza or something
else, and plan for the coming meetings and programs. The time is ripe for involvement once again. If you are interested in
joining us, please drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com or give a call at 303-651-6061. Thanks!
The picture
at left is a few of the folks who joined together to clean up a section of the
St. Vrain, enjoy each other's company, and do some fishing. According to
reports, a fine time was had by all, donuts were eaten, trash collected and
disposed of, and fish caught. I hope you will join us for the next TU activity!
I've made a link in this
web page for the TU club. It is here: Trout
Unlimited. The Newsletter, which was mailed to members on Saturday, is
included, as are a few notes. Please read Mark Fiegal's notes from the board
meeting, which are found on the link provided.
Thanks for reading.
Please remember that we are here to help: we want to help, we're waiting to
help, we're hoping to help. Won't you take advantage of us in the near future?
We all hope to see or
hear from you in the near future. You can call us at one of the above phone
numbers, write us at angler@peakpeak.com
or visit this web site by wandering around.
If you need anything,
please call us first. Chances are pretty good we'll have what you want, and what
you need.
Talk with you again
soon. There are some great things on the way. Please stay in touch.
Dale Darling
Ever curious; happy with Scott and Hiedi, and sad for mom.
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Fall
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