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St. Vrain Angler News
& Muse November 23, 2004
Greetings!
I hope this finds
everyone well, enjoying this Thanksgiving week. It seems that we can make a
choice of being thankful or whining. We certainly don't have to go far in
the normal media to find the whining part - would you like some cheese
and crackers with that whine? And there are always issues and
circumstances that cause grief, unsettled feelings and stress. No question
on that front.
However, taking
time to be thankful, and perhaps stay thankful is a good thing.
I'm thankful for
my family, for Mark, for our friends and customers in the shop and for the
privilege of writing you each week. Thanks for reading.
Today's missive
is going to be short and sweet. I'm going to share pictures that we've
shared during this year and see if they arouse feelings of thanks. For fish,
friends, water, bugs, flies and so on.
Oh yeah. Thanks
to so many of you who filled in the following request for catalogues. You'll
get yours in the near future. |
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This week we're going to send out our Christmas Catalogue.
There are some very special offers contained within. If you would like to
receive it, please fill out this form and we'll get a copy to your doorstep
ASAP.
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Thanks for
visiting today. Enjoy the pictures, and I'll talk with you again next week.
Will anyone be
thankful for Rolaids on Thursday night and Friday morning? Just curious.
They consume 47 times their weight in excess stomach acid. I guess I'll only
have to take about 400. I'm full of it. |
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Last year at this time. A lovely,
colorful rainbow from 11-Mile Canyon during a shop trip. So much snow that
trip! And very cold.
Still, the fish didn't mind. They
were hungry and ate flies.
Silly trout. |
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Observing the insects upon which
trout feed has become a moderate obsession. This is so interesting to
observe. Here is a large mayfly - probably about a size #14 - in the midst
of climbing out of its nymphal shuck, preparing to fly off, molt, mate and
die within the next few hours. |
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The morning before that bug
emerged, my friend Stan and I were at his cabin in the mountains. Stan was
cooking up some grub and we both looked forward to a day on the water.
The bugs didn't disappoint.
That's for sure. |
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The mayflies were everywhere!
And they were beautiful.
Floating along on the surface of
the water like little sailboats in such a regatta.
Sad day for the float: it was
interrupted by fish eating the little boats! |
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Stan was ready. The water was
pleasantly cool, but we waded wet anyway.
One of us would fish while the
other watched. I spent time collecting bugs.
Both of us invested time building
memories. Just ask Stan. |
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Even though mayflies were
everywhere, the fish took big Stimulators.
Heck, we could see them on the
water, the fish would eat them.
What more could we ask? |
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Most of the fish we caught were
either rainbows or cuttbows.
I did land one brown, and he was
beautiful.
Ate a dry fly, too.
All the better, 'eh? |
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The cuttbows were lovely, as you
can see. Full of color and life.
Our hooks had no barbs, so the
fish were easily released. |
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Our friend Andy had much to be
thankful for this year - his first permit!
On a fly he tied!
What a fish!
What a memory.
When do we try again? |
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We had the honor of filling a few
boxes of our own flies for friends who visited Argentina and Chili earlier
this year.
A lovely place, with big, wild
fish.
Wanna' go? |
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Our young friend Bear saw, cast
to, hooked, played and landed this Tarpon in Belize last March.
He was with my friend Jose, the
guide, who was out giving it a try.
When you ask Jose about the
chances that day, his answer is always, "We can try."
This time, it worked.
Congrats, Bear.
And Grandpa |
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Make your
own story.
Have a
wonderful Thanksgiving! |
Thanks!
Talk with you again next week.
Dale Darling
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