St. Vrain Angler News & Muse April 19, 2005

Greetings!

I hope this finds you well this lovely Spring Day! It is lovely here, and I hope it is where you are reading. Look away from the screen and see if there is a bird sitting on a tree limb right out the window. Has anyone noticed all of the lovely butterflies flying around Longmont the past few days? Amazing. Apparently they are migrating.

Last week I opened by mentioning the "blizzard" we had along the Front Range area. It was cold and we did get some snow and lots of drifting. By Tuesday the snow was mostly gone and warm temperatures, along with all the moisture from melted snow, has caused life to spring forth in a flurry of color and activity. Our cherry blossoms are blossoming, our aspen trees are greening and other flowering trees are just as lovely as you'd like. Wow!

And fishing? Folks are getting out. We're getting lots of where are they hitting? What are they eating? Any bass or warmwater fishing?  and so on type of questions. That's always a good sign.

The "blizzard" and its wind and cold turned the water over on Union Res and caused the temps to drop significantly. However, they are back on track, and as you'll see from the story and pictures below, the wiper and other piscatorial friends are active. This is good.

I'm getting very good reports from the Miracle Mile and Gray Reef on the North Platte in Wyoming. Folks are having the trips of a lifetime and enjoying the process. Lots of big, healthy fish eating flies and fighting like crazy. Cool beans, huh? The rainbow at the right seems to be an average trout - which is difficult for me to say, I might add - and the smile on Paul's face is out of this world. I hope the memory of this one lasts. While many folks go to the Reef and wade, many are also floating for a day. Interested? We have a guide available and would be happy to get a trip set for you and a friend. Call the shop at 303-651-6061 to get set up.

Last week we had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with Brian from Ireland. Here is an angler full of passion and love for trout and all things fishy and with flies. Our conversations about trout waters, Atlantic Salmon, fly patterns and so on was full and delightful. I hope to see Brian again. He's going to send some info on fishing in Ireland. When shall we go? We've also had several visits from friends in New Jersey and other points east who are visiting the area and want to experience a bit of Rocky Mountain Angling. This is fun!

There's just something about anglers that is fine. Thanks to all of you for sharing your passion, hopes, dreams, stories, memories and so on with us in the shop. This is great fun, and I appreciate each and every one of you who visits the shop, writes me via e-mail, and reads this weekly missive.

Thanks.

Locally, Front Range streams are doing pretty well, all in all. We are hearing of the occasional day when the fishing has been tough. Sometimes you get to the stream or lake and it seems that every fish has its mouth zipped shut for the time being. Then, folks report of great days - or an hour here or there - when fish are rising with glee and eating flies, but with regrets. Oh well. It's all part of fishing. And being out there is a good thing regardless of the immediate results. Lungs full of clean air scented with pine and accompanied by the babbling of a trout stream is redemptive; it lasts.

Go fishing soon; then, go again. It's 2005: the year to go fishing, again.

I think the Arkansas is heating up, with blue winged olives emerging as well as the beginning of the caddis hatch. There are golden stones in that there water, too, and the fish will eat them when they see them. That's the case on most of our streams, along with the early brown stones, which are here and there. When they are where you are, fish with a small, dark caddis pattern and you will hook trout.

In order for fish to see flies, flies have to be cast to them. In order for flies to be cast, people must go fishing. Go ahead: You have my permission to go fishing.

Wow. Whoopie. Zammo and cablamo.

Oh well. I tried.

St. Vrain Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited is on a roll, and it's time to get involved. The energy and enthusiasm the present group is expressing is delightful and full of hope for the St. Vrain River. Here's what you should know. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend both events.

Eric will eat the walleye, but returned all of the wipers. I've said it before, however: if you feed the wipers the right flies, they will feed you, too! Go ahead: hook a few, and eat one of them. They are good with a batter and some potatoes.

Clouser minnows in chartreuse or blue should work, as will a chartreuse Zonker. Tie the flies with some weight - I like using bead chain or lead eyes - and vary the strips until you find feeding fish. Then do it some more.

If you are going to keep a fish, try to remember to take a length of rope or a cooler to keep them in. Give them a good whack on the head to put them out of their misery, and eat them fresh.

If you want to let them go so you can catch them again, that's great as well. It's what I do most of the time, and what most of the folks fishing out there with flies are doing as well. It is okay to eat a fish once in a while, though.

On Sunday, we did our first Carp Fishing Class. The CarpMiester, Andrew, took our friends Shirley and Tom out for a 4-hour class. Shirley called to report that a fine time was had by all three, although the fish were not cooperative. Tom, Shirley and Andrew saw lots of fish, learned about their feeding habits and how to cast and strip the fly, but the fish had zipped up mouths. I'm pretty sure she said they hooked one or two, but one never knows about such things. In other words, I forgot that part of it. Hmm. Old age? Too tall? Who knows.

Please call to schedule a Carp Class. This is way too much fun. Andrew has a fully rigged flats boat with poling and casting platforms that are fly fishing friendly. He goes out to Union every chance he gets to figure out what in the world these fin fish are doing, and really has a passion for sharing this info with others. You want to go, don't you? Please let me know and we'll get a class set for you.

Ok. We'll agree that 2005 is the Year to Go Fishing - again. For many of my readers, it's been awhile since the old fly line was brought out and the fly rod limbered up. Waders are dusty, rather than wet, and the fly boxes are a bit low and depleted.

Perhaps, in addition to the gear dilemma, there is a skill problem as well. A rusty casting stroke. Fly presentation problems. Knot issues and so on and so forth.

Guess what? I'm here to help solve your fly fishing problems. How?

How's that?

There is a Introduction to Fly Casting Class this Saturday, and it is full. The next session will be on Saturday, May 7, 2005. At this time there's still room for you and a friend. Please sign up soon. Check Class Schedule for descriptions and dates of other Casting Classes.

What will this class do for you? It will help teach you - or remind you - of how to assemble the rod, build a leader that will turn over, grip the rod, and make basic casts. The class is informal, fun, and informative. I hope you will join us soon. If there is enough demand, I'm willing to add sessions. If you have two or three family members or friend who'd like to learn, we'll set up a special session for your group.

On Sunday, I'm going to teach an On Water Line Control Class. At this time it looks like it is also full. However, another session is planned for May 22, 2005. Please see Class Schedule for info and to register, or drop me a line at angler@peakpeak.com, or call the shop at 303-651-6061, or stop by to sign up. How's that?

On Sunday, April 24, 2005 we have scheduled First Adventure in Fly Fishing Class. At this time the class needs three folks to make it go. I hope you will register and attend. This is a great class that teaches about fish, water, bugs, flies, knots, rigging, tactics and much more both in a class setting and on the stream. Sign Me UP!

We hosted and taught a First Adventure Class last Wednesday and a fine time was had by all. The fishing was slow that day, but good info and good times were shared by the instructor and students. I bought lunch.

That's a shot of our friend and new angler Dart. This was the first time he ever fished, and he hooked a lovely brown trot on a fly. How about that? Please sign up and join the fun!

St. Vrain Angler has supported and carried Sage Rods since 1992. We've sold hundreds of these fine fly rods. In the past year, Sage has decided to promote their product through big box stores, after promising to do so only through professional fly shops. The change has hurt us and we will no longer carry the Sage brand. This is difficult, but things change.

Therefore, I'm going to sell all of the Sage rods I have for discounted prices. Here's the deal: I'd like to sell all of them this week. This is a great opportunity to own a very fine fly rod. I'll list the rods on the web page later today. Please make note of the rod that you'd like - they are limited to stock on hand - and call right away to buy your new fly rod. I'll sell them on a first come, first served basis, so act now. 303-651-6061.

I'm sorry about this development, and am saddened by it.

St. Vrain Angler will happily and fully continue to stock, service and sell Winston fly rods and Redington. We can cover the rod type and action, as well as the price range required by your budget.

Please remember: we are here to fulfill your fly fishing dreams, and to help you get the gear that works. And we'll service the products we sell. We want you to be happy with the stuff you buy from us, and we expect it to work properly for the lifetime of the product.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Flowers are blooming, trees flowering (?) and leaves popping. Bugs are emerging on streams and trout are eating them. Wipers and carp are hugging the banks of Union Reservoir and taking flies, and bass and bluegill ponds are warming up. Trout have been stocked in local impoundments, and it is a great time to take a kid fishing.

Please stop by the shop, drop me a line or give me a call for any of your fly fishing needs. In the morning the coffee pot is always on, and lies are being told in the shop. Flies are tied, lies are swapped, fishing tails related and smiles shared.

I hope you'll stop in to breath some rarified fly shop air soon. I'll be waiting to see you.

Thanks for reading. Thanks to everyone who's signed up to receive this weekly missive. I hope to see you - or hear from you - soon.

By the way, we're in good stock on Solution Booklets Remember: they are 3 for $20.00. A great deal.

Remember: fishing is fun, no matter how you do it. It's time to go fishing!

I'll talk with you again next week.