I hope this finds you and your fellow readers doing well. Is there a sense
of
community out there? We're at almost 4,000 subscribers now and that is quite
a crew of folks. I really appreciate the kind remarks I receive on a weekly
basis concerning the newsletter, the pictures, the info and so on. I also
thank each of you for supporting the shops by taking trips and attending
classes and by buying your gear from us. We're here to fulfill your fly
fishing dreams, and it is a pleasure to say nothing of lots of fun doing
just that!
THANKS everyone!
Say a big group HELLO to one another. Hi.
You are right. The picture is not of me, but my alter ego of sorts. The fly
in this dandy brown trout's mouth is one that I tied. Then, I attached it to
some 5X tippet and cast the fly onto the water. As it floated along in the
current lane, bobbing about on the surface this little denizen decided my
fake looked like its future meal and rose to intercept and eat it.
Surprise Mr. Trout! It's a fake, but neither of us
is. I hope to meet you again one day soon. I'll be fair to you.
Life's interesting. We never know what
it will do next, although we think we will. When folks ask, "How's life
treating you?" I always answer, "Life is always good." When asked, "How's
the world treating you?" my answer is more or less, "The world is tough on
us. Some circumstances
are good; others not so good."
From this you
know that I am a considerably good philosopher, which, according to Patrick
McManus means I'm a deplorable fisherman. The worse the fisherman, the
better the philosopher is his take on things.
Last week I
shared the light of Max, the chowderhead Golden Retriever, who is lying next
to me as I write today's missive. He seems to be doing alright, all in all.
I guess a bit more time will tell. As you can see, he and Rachel joined me
on the river the other evening for some contemplation on life and philosophy
- I was hooking few fish and they were all small. That's not bragging,
either; just the facts, ma'm; just the facts.
Last Friday
Rachel, Jessica and I planned to play some jazz and ragtime at the Stage
Stop Inn and Restaurant in Drake, which is on 34 between Estes Park and
Loveland. On Friday morning Shan and I got the girls up to belatedly
celebrate Jess's 16th birthday. She was at camp that day and the girls are
all going every which way these days. For once we were all under one roof.
Shan baked a cake and I made eggs, bacon and so on. We sang and laughed. I
went to the shop; the girls went shopping. Girls.
Later I planned
to head to the house, load up Jess's drum set and our music, head to Drake
to move the piano from the cabin to the Stage
Stop
and then take a nap and shower before playing at 7PM. When I got home Shan
informed me that on her way to work in Estes Brittany had fallen asleep at
the wheel and gone off the road. Seemed she was fine and on the way back to
Longmont with some folks who picked her up. Base on what the folks said -
kind and delightful family from Missouri on a visit to the Rockies for the
first time; it was nice meeting them - we would not be able to get the car
out. Okay.
Several of you
joined us for the playing, and we all had lots of fun. Brittany is fine and
she and her sisters took the canoe and are up at Longdraw Reservoir
for a few days of fishing and camping. What neat girls; what a blessing they
are.
As we know,
things with Britt's mishap could have been different, but weren't. I'm
always sad when I see such things go a different way, and
somehow know that we could be one breath from something similar. Who knows?
Still, we live
each day pondering life and what it is. More on this later.
Hug someone soon.
Hugs are a good invention.
John F. Kennedy
may have had it right: there is nothing to fear but fear itself. That sort
of goes with the story, doesn't it?
Today I'd like to
say this: we have nothing to whine about, but whining itself is fearful. I'm
sick and tired of it. Is that whining?
Let's go fishing
and relax.
I just finished
for the second or third time Jim Harrison's Off To The Side, which is
a memoir of his life and writing. Interesting read. I keep reading about
writing of late as I'd like to do more of it.
In the book, Jim
says,
"Fishing was
mostly coming up for air after long periods of work, something to clear
your mind for the next project, a sport that could wipe the slate quite
clean."
"Bird hunting
can also lift you out of your humdrum work life but perhaps not as
completely as fishing."
"'Inside' is
for making a living, 'outside' is for pleasure.'"
"There's no
particular virtue in hunting and fishing."
"The most
effective way of ruining hunting and fishing is to make them into the
rigid forms of routine that doubtless and of necessity pervade the rest of
your life."
Top of Page
What do we find?
That many folks who have accomplished what we
see as "good things" or who have been "successful" and also fish rarely say
they should have fished less. Jim wrote Legends of The Fall which was
a made into a movie and very "successful". He says in his book he missed an
important meeting with another director who wanted to use some of his stuff
for a movie because he had gone off fishing in Montana with another author.
For some
time my friend Steve and I have talked about
going fishing. And we haven't. We could have; maybe we should have. Last
week, after Steve returned from ten days in Alaska, we decided we'd hit it
on Monday.
And we did. We
met in Drake and headed downstream a couple of miles to a spot I like to
fish. Upon our arrival the clouds were building
and
seems ominous with the possibility of impending rain, thunder and
lightening, which never really developed. We got a few drops, but we were
the drips even though we did not fall in this time.
I'd fished Sunday
for a bit with Clint an Greg, so was set to go. While Steve rigged and
suited up I headed to the water.
"You'll probably
catch four fish before I even get there," he said.
I walked through
the underbrush to the edge of the stream and sat down on a rock. I did not
see any bugs or rising fish. I tied on a length of 5X tippet and attached a
#16 Red Quill I'd tied. The bug just looked pretty to me and as though it
needed to float along on the water.
On about the
second short cast a small brown took the fly. I missed the hook set, which
has been my lot of late. After only a few casts I'd moved several fish,
hooked two and landed one. This was exciting because it meant the fish were
looking up.
I headed
back to the truck to see how Steve was doing and to deliver the news. Of
course we were temporarily sidetracked - (read Patrick McManus's
Sequences story in the collection, The Night The Bear Ate Goombaw
for details.) - but eventually found ourselves on the water.
We headed
downstream a piece and set up along one edge that had a
deep, powerful run in front and a more shallow shelf on the opposite side.
Undergrowth and trees lined both banks. Varying current speeds dominated.
The casting was tough and the drift promised to be tougher yet.
"What did you tie
on?" I asked.
"A rubber leg
stimulator," Steve said.
Steve made a few
casts; two very nice trout took the fly. All of the slack in the line, which
allowed for a good drift in the first place, kept Steve from hooking up for
long. In one case the fish was on for a few moments, but eventually it came
looses. We continued to fish the area, then began moving upstream, through a
few pockets and into a flatter area of water.
The
river is deep on the far bank with lots of overhanging vegetation and get
more shallow towards the opposite bank. Steve and I stood together in one
spot and, ever the teacher, I coached him on a bit of casting, line control
and fly presentation.
Steve noted that
fishing small streams such as the Big Thompson involve tougher techniques
than those involved when fishing larger streams. Remember, he'd just
returned from Alaska, hooking big rainbows and so on on dry flies; he knew
of what he spoke.
In one particular
spot I wanted to make a point. I talked about drift lanes and the fact that
you can get pretty close to fish when using dry flies,
especially when fishing with attractor patterns as we were. There was a
small pocket within a larger one with a lip current at the tail of the area.
I cast the fly I had on - a yellow Little Mack, shown above at the left but
without the nymph dropper - to a spot about three feet above the rock that
was creating the lip current. The first drift was nearest us, the second
about 4-5 inches farther away and the last one another 4-5 inches farther
to
the other side of the lane. On the third drift a nice scrappy brown took the
fly.
"See?" I said.
"Sometimes this is a matter of inches."
"Yep."
Steve hooked two
very nice trout on his dry fly - I can't remember what he was using, but I
think it was a hi-vis caddis he'd tied during one of our classes - and
landed them in his net. He was all smiles.
After each of us
had hooked and released one or two more trout Steve looked at me and said,
"I think it's time to go eat a steak."
I was in
agreement. We left the stream - I'll bet there were still lots of fish that
would have taken our dry flies, but enough is enough - and drove to Drake to
the Stage Stop. They'd been thinking of closing since things had been slow,
but Joe cooked us a couple of steaks with an ear of corn, salad and some
Slaw.
We decided we'll
do that again. Soon.
Please: find a
friend and go fishing. It's good for everyone, and the fish will forget the
whole thing.
Top of Page
Several of us are
going to attend a special event in Punta
Allen,
Mexico.
Would you like to join us? There are four spots remaining for this outing.
What's so special? We're going flats fishing, 'mon!
In case you are
wondering, Joe will be back with hopes of another permit, as will Chuck who
hopes to hook a tarpon this time around.
We'll leave
Longmont on the evening of October 21, 2005 and arrive in Cancun, Mexico the
next morning. A driver will take
us to Punta Allen where we'll have a short class on casting, tying, spotting
fish and so on. We'll also take a nap, I think. Then, we'll fish for the
next six days, hunting for bones, permit, barracuda, tarpon, jacks, lady
fish, snook, snapper and so on. This is an excellent trip and we'd love to
have you join us.
Please fill out this form if interested in our
Ascension
Bay trip this October! I'll be in touch.
There's a writer
and counselor who lives in Colorado Springs. His name is John Eldredge. He
writes books about Men, Women and Families. They are interesting. Some of
you may remember a book I had a year or so ago called Wild At Heart.
If not, please read it.
I have 100 copies
of a new booklet called You've Got What
it Takes. It is about being a father. The subtitle is What Every
Father Needs to Know.
I read the book
in about an hour or less. It has 50 pages or so and is
easy
to read and to understand. The booklets only cost $2.99 and we'll have them
in Longmont.
I hope a few of
our friends will read this book and take it to heart.
In addition, I'm
wondering if a few men would like to do a weekend retreat with some fishing,
tying, lying and talking. The talk would be about manhood and being honest.
Anyone interested? Please let me know by dropping me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com
Thanks. I always
wish all of you the best in life. Fly fishing is part of it, but just as
there is more to the fishing than the fish there is more to life than we at
once might assume. Top of Page
When I used to play golf I had a couple of
good friends who were golf pros. I always wanted to know what balls they
used, what clubs and so on, in addition to ideas about playing a golf course
and hitting the ball
with the clubs. I loved to practice and at one time could play pretty well.
It was fun to see how much better these guys were and try to hold onto the
tail of their shirts when we had a chance to play a few holes or a round
together.
I've been
wondering if anyone out there is interested in what I use when I fish on my
own. On the assumption that this could be the case I've decided to mention a
few things here that I'd have with me for fishing the local streams. Here we
go.
When fishing
locally I try to go light. I'm wearing a William & Joseph Coastal Chest Pack
that holds four fly boxes, my tippet, leaders, floatant,
dry
shake, nippers, hemostats, Ketchum Release Tool and a water bladder with
drinking tube. I keep a bug net and very light William & Joseph rain jacket
in the back along with the water.
My boxes have
primarily the flies that I like to fish, and they are almost all dry flies.
I do carry a few wet flies, which I very much enjoy fishing through riffles
where water speed is relatively consistent. I wish more folks would fish
that way, too; it's just plain fun!
I carry various
stimulators, Royal Wulffs and Trudes, Adams, Parachute Adams, lots of caddis
adult imitations, hoppers, ants and beetles as well as a full array of
midges, mayfly adults - including Green Drake, PMD, Red Quill, Blue Quill
and other Quill bodies patterns - and stonefly adults in addition to the
Stimulators. I like yellow sallies, and tie the Little Mack
shown earlier, which is a favorite of mine. Thanks Frank.
I do carry a few
Copper John, PT, Prince, golden stone and other nymph patterns just in case
I want to probe the depths. I'll be honest though. At this time of the year
the fish will come to the surface to eat and I'd just as soon leave them
alone when they decide to go deep to rest, eat and revive for eating on the
surface later on.
My fly boxes are
modestly organized at best as I'm always adding new patterns to try on the
water. A new box may start very well organized, but it won't last for very
long. I've fished long enough to know the flies I'm
using
and how they will work, so I don't really care that much how they are. I do
have boxes with small stuff, medium stuff and big stuff, as well as a few
streamer boxes and other specialty boxes that I'll put into the Chest Pack
when fishing certain waters at certain times. Making adjustments with flies
and rigging is what separates folks who hook fish from those who do not.
And, presentation.
I carry along a
few extra leaders, usually just in case someone who's along needs one, but
once in while just in case I thrash one thoroughly or lose it in a tree to a
bad knot. These things happen. An extra for me is usually a 7-1/2' length
that tapers to 4X. I carry 4- and 5X tippet this time of year unless I'll be
somewhere that might require 3X for a streamer or hopper, which is unusual.
The W&J Pack has a spot to hold tippet which makes it easily accessible when
needed.
Since I fish with
dries most of the time I carry floatant and desiccant.
Before I
fish with a fly I treat it with a dollop of liquid floatant, in my case
Aquel. After I hook a fish and still plan to use the fly again - usually I
change after either one or two fish, just to see
if any of the other flies in there will fool them - I'll rinse the fly off
in the water, then put it in the desiccant and give it a good shake. After
that I blow the fluff out of the fly and apply a bit more Aquel. This keeps
that fly floating, which is a good thing.
Nippers are
attached to the vest, as is a knot tool, which is required for emergency
leader changes. Hemo's and Ketchum Release tool are on the vest in a pocket
with easy access, but not attached to it. I lose one once in a while, but
like to be able to reach wherever I want without any possibility of getting
tangled, which is already a possibility when I'm out there, stumbling
around.
I wear a long
sleeved fishing shirt to keep the sun off my arms. We have
lovely
Redington shirts that are inexpensive and perfect for a day on the water. If
you fish more often, I'd recommend Patagonia shirts, which are on the way.
These are great shirts that will last as long as you will be fishing
streams. I also wear very light
pants that can be used under waders this time of year with moderately heavy
socks for inside my waders. I either wade wet - with wading boots and wading
socks - or use a pair of hip waders.
I'm never on the
water with out a ball cap. We have St. Vrain and Estes Angler caps that will
work fine while dressing up your pictures. Polarized sunglasses should be
the first thing on the list because I always have them, and always wear
them. Plain and simple.
The type of
fishing I'll do will determine what rod, reel and fly line I use. For the
most part, when fishing the Big Thompson, the Park and the St. Vrain, I use
a R. L. Winston 8' 3-piece 2-weight rod. It is delicate but strong enough to
cast a large stimulator or hopper when required. I like the flexibility of
this rod a lot and enjoy the way it bends on a trout. I also use a 7'9" LT
Winston. This is a 5-piece rod that packs small and fishes big. Last week,
while fishing with Dale, I tried his new Winston 8-1/2' BIIX and I'm afraid
I'm going to have to have one of them soon. What a great rod for this area!
I use a light
reel such as the Ross Evolution of the proper size, and an SA fly line to
match. There are many options.
Does this help at
all? I'd sure like to help you get the right gear, rigs, flies and
accessories that will work for you, your budget and your fishing style.
Thanks for reading, and for letting us help you.
Top of Page
New gear continues to arrive all the time.
We're adding Patagonia stuff
every week. The reception has been dandy and our customers genuinely see the
value of this wonderful gear. We now have waders, boots, vests, vest packs,
fanny packs, socks, capilene undies, hats, rain jackets and so on, and
several styles and colors of fishing and casual shirts are on their way. An Idea:
everyone we know wears clothing into the shop. What I'm going to ask is that
you consider buying two pieces of clothing from us each year. If you like
Patagonia, we can order it for you from any of their catalogues, and would
be pleased to do so.
We've also added
two styles of Chota wading boots. One is $117.95, the other $69.95. These
boots look great, and will fit some folks better than other boots. So it
goes with feet, huh?
Our
fly selection continues to grow. Folks seem real happy to see some of the
new patterns we've added while bulking up on the standard and popular
patterns. Get on in and fill a box soon.
I've also
expanded our offering of Scientific Fly Lines. They look great and fish very
well. If you need a new line, stop in and shop for a new SA fly line.
There's more, but
rather than reading about it why not stop by, say hello and get some
goodies!
Top of Page
When you
purchase a new pair of Patagonia Watermaster Waders, a Waterworks
Litespeed or a Ross Evolution Reel you will receive a $30.00
Gift Certificate towards your next purchase at St. Vrain or Estes Angler.
When you
purchase a new pair of Patagonia Watermaster Light waders, a
Waterworks Velocity or a Ross Cimarron Large Arbor reel you
will receive a $20.00 Gift Certificate towards your next purchase at one
of the shops.
When you buy a
new Winston BIIX fly rod that's in stock I'll give you a 1/2 hour casting
lesson for free.
Classes and
Guided Trips continue to flourish at both shops. Thanks to everyone
who's participated. If you have not, what in the world are you
waiting for? The fishing is great right now and this is a wonderful time to
learn more fly fishing skills with one of our friendly, helpful professional
guides and instructors.
Guided Trips continue to be
loads of fun for all who are involved. We've taken kids. We've taken
families. We've taken groups of friends and business associates. We've taken
couples. We've taken young folks and people who have just
retired
and need something to do with their time.
We would love to
take you! Just call the Estes Angler to register for your trip by calling
800-586-2110.
We also have a
full slate of Classes on the books, ready
to teach you fly fishing skills that will set you free to go fool trout in
streams with flies. Check the schedule to see what's coming and sign up
soon. Many sessions fill fast and we'd love to include you in
the next offerings.
As you can see,
this couple enjoyed time together on the trout stream in Rocky Mountain
National Park. They had a fine time and hooked a few fish. What a sky! What
beauty.
Drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com or call one of
the shops to register. 303-651-6061 in Longmont; 970-586-2110 in Estes Park.
If you're out of the calling area, use our toll-free numbers at 800-651-1770
for Longmont and 800-586-2110 to reach Estes
Here are a few more shots from a recent Guided Trip - yesterday, to be sure!
Beautiful!
Memories!
Wild Trout!
Problems in paradise? I've
had several calls and notes concerning a favorite spot of many anglers along
the Big Thompson. It seems the upper stretch that is below Mall road has
been marked as Private, Keep Out! Here's
one of the notes I've gotten.
Dale,
I am struggling to understand something which has me very
disturbed.
My favorite spot to fish on the Big T is now posted as private
property and no trespassing. This is the first pull out as you enter
the canyon near Mall road in Estes. You know the 2 car pull out on
the right hand side of the road heading down stream toward the green
metal bridge. Very upper section of the big T.
I went into that little community one time to look around at the
houses for sale - just dreaming. I remember seeing a land plat for
the area and if I remember correctly they actually own out to the
middle of the river, including the island which is now heavily posted
as well.
I understand private property and things like this but what I
don't understand is why? Why after all this time did someone or some
people decide that was enough and now it's mine. I mean did someone
get out of the stream and piss in someone's back yard? Did someone
throw trash into the river? Did one of the owners inform a fisherman
that they actually were on private property and some type of
altercation take place? Did a private club encourage these people to
do this and offer them money to close off one of the best stretches
of the Big T for their own use? Could the owners never get on the
river to fish themselves since people were always there?
A thousand other questions come to mind but I am so frustrated,
and beside myself about this issue that I'll simply end it here.
If you could find out any more info. on what might have
transpired up there I would greatly appreciate it! Not that it will
matter or re-open the stretch again (nice pipe dream) but it might
help me for closure on the matter.
No great rush, maybe we can simply sit down and talk about it
soon. I'll probably need a beer though.........
Be well,
Richard
I don't have a
definitive answer to this question, but I do have a few
thoughts.
I think my friend Richard hit on several possibilities that have to do with
poor angler behavior which probably have happened in the aggregate. That's
sad. The back yard incident, trash, poor manners and so on.
Many folks
purchase places in this canyon as second homes, cabins or getaways. And
since they own the land they feel that people should respect that ownership.
The river is probably their front yard, so to speak, and when folks are
always in there, perhaps loud or swearing when missing or hooking a fish,
the owners might tire of this sort of thing. We can all understand it.
Pressure on
rivers is increasing and there aren't any more rivers being built as far as
I can tell.
I remember the
Frying Pan with much fondness. When I started fishing it in about 1980 there
was mostly open water. One spot part way up the
canyon was closed, but I knew a guy who knew the folks and we could even
fish some of that. They only asked that people leave part of it alone so the
family could fish it. As time went on a fly fishing became more popular the
river was overrun with anglers. In many cases landowners marked land as
"Private Water. Please fish with care, using barbless hooks. Release all
fish." I remember one spot in particular that was thus marked, with one
short stretch that had a sign "Keep Out". Still people fished all of it, so
the guy finally closed the entire stretch of water. I lost my favorite spot,
and I had helped with some of the stream cleanup and work on that stretch.
Now, the Frying
Pan is mostly private. I fear similar things will happen with the Big
Thompson.
Please
beware and respect private property. If it is marked, stay out.
In Colorado you
are not allowed to wade into water that is on private land. That is not the
case in Montana.
This is an area
we should all discuss with regularity, encouraging our angling friends to
beware and to respect private property so we can continue fish areas which
are not posted.
I grew up fishing
for perch, and loved it. But I'd much rather catch wild trout in clear
mountain water. How about you?
Any thoughts on
this topic? Let me know and I'll share them with others.
Well, that's about all I've got today.
This one has taken awhile to assemble and write. I have so many thoughts
about so many things that I want to share with each of you.
Most of all, know
that I wish you the best in life and fishing and hope that you are fulfilled
today in what you are doing. Let's show leadership in our
society and see the good things we can see while we encourage others to
thrive in life.
Life is a good
thing, after all, even when the circumstances are not.
Just a reminder: I think Rachel, Jess and
I will be playing at the Stage Stop Inn in Drake, west of Loveland and east
of Estes Park along Highway 34. We'll play some jazz and big band stuff -
with a very small band of flute, piano and drums - and I'll play a few rags.
The food at the restaurant is very good and I think you would enjoy a quite
evening along the Big Thompson. We'll start at 7PM and hope to see you
there!
Thanks for
reading. I'm wishing all of you the best. Hope to see you in the shop, along
a trout stream or via this missive.
of
community out there? We're at almost 4,000 subscribers now and that is quite
a crew of folks. I really appreciate the kind remarks I receive on a weekly
basis concerning the newsletter, the pictures, the info and so on. I also
thank each of you for supporting the shops by taking trips and attending
classes and by buying your gear from us. We're here to fulfill your fly
fishing dreams, and it is a pleasure to say nothing of lots of fun doing
just that!
are good; others not so good."
Stop
and then take a nap and shower before playing at 7PM. When I got home Shan
informed me that on her way to work in Estes Brittany had fallen asleep at
the wheel and gone off the road. Seemed she was fine and on the way back to
Longmont with some folks who picked her up. Base on what the folks said -
kind and delightful family from Missouri on a visit to the Rockies for the
first time; it was nice meeting them - we would not be able to get the car
out. Okay.
somehow know that we could be one breath from something similar. Who knows?
see as "good things" or who have been "successful" and also fish rarely say
they should have fished less. Jim wrote Legends of The Fall which was
a made into a movie and very "successful". He says in his book he missed an
important meeting with another director who wanted to use some of his stuff
for a movie because he had gone off fishing in Montana with another author.
and
seems ominous with the possibility of impending rain, thunder and
lightening, which never really developed. We got a few drops, but we were
the drips even though we did not fall in this time.
deep, powerful run in front and a more shallow shelf on the opposite side.
Undergrowth and trees lined both banks. Varying current speeds dominated.
The casting was tough and the drift promised to be tougher yet.
The
river is deep on the far bank with lots of overhanging vegetation and get
more shallow towards the opposite bank. Steve and I stood together in one
spot and, ever the teacher, I coached him on a bit of casting, line control
and fly presentation.
especially when fishing with attractor patterns as we were. There was a
small pocket within a larger one with a lip current at the tail of the area.
I cast the fly I had on - a yellow Little Mack, shown above at the left but
without the nymph dropper - to a spot about three feet above the rock that
was creating the lip current. The first drift was nearest us, the second
about 4-5 inches farther away and the last one another 4-5 inches farther
to
the other side of the lane. On the third drift a nice scrappy brown took the
fly.
Mexico
easy
to read and to understand. The booklets only cost $2.99 and we'll have them
in Longmont.
with the clubs. I loved to practice and at one time could play pretty well.
It was fun to see how much better these guys were and try to hold onto the
tail of their shirts when we had a chance to play a few holes or a round
together.
dry
shake, nippers, hemostats, Ketchum Release Tool and a water bladder with
drinking tube. I keep a bug net and very light William & Joseph rain jacket
in the back along with the water.
shown earlier, which is a favorite of mine. Thanks Frank.
using
and how they will work, so I don't really care that much how they are. I do
have boxes with small stuff, medium stuff and big stuff, as well as a few
streamer boxes and other specialty boxes that I'll put into the Chest Pack
when fishing certain waters at certain times. Making adjustments with flies
and rigging is what separates folks who hook fish from those who do not.
And, presentation.
Before I
fish with a fly I treat it with a dollop of liquid floatant, in my case
Aquel. After I hook a fish and still plan to use the fly again - usually I
change after either one or two fish, just to see
if any of the other flies in there will fool them - I'll rinse the fly off
in the water, then put it in the desiccant and give it a good shake. After
that I blow the fluff out of the fly and apply a bit more Aquel. This keeps
that fly floating, which is a good thing.
lovely
Redington shirts that are inexpensive and perfect for a day on the water. If
you fish more often, I'd recommend Patagonia shirts, which are on the way.
These are great shirts that will last as long as you will be fishing
streams. I also wear very light
pants that can be used under waders this time of year with moderately heavy
socks for inside my waders. I either wade wet - with wading boots and wading
socks - or use a pair of hip waders.
every week. The reception has been dandy and our customers genuinely see the
value of this wonderful gear. We now have waders, boots, vests, vest packs,
fanny packs, socks, capilene undies, hats, rain jackets and so on, and
several styles and colors of fishing and casual shirts are on their way.
Our
fly selection continues to grow. Folks seem real happy to see some of the
new patterns we've added while bulking up on the standard and popular
patterns. Get on in and fill a box soon.
waiting for? The fishing is great right now and this is a wonderful time to
learn more fly fishing skills with one of our friendly, helpful professional
guides and instructors.
retired
and need something to do with their time.
the next offerings.
thoughts.
I think my friend Richard hit on several possibilities that have to do with
poor angler behavior which probably have happened in the aggregate. That's
sad. The back yard incident, trash, poor manners and so on.
canyon was closed, but I knew a guy who knew the folks and we could even
fish some of that. They only asked that people leave part of it alone so the
family could fish it. As time went on a fly fishing became more popular the
river was overrun with anglers. In many cases landowners marked land as
"Private Water. Please fish with care, using barbless hooks. Release all
fish." I remember one spot in particular that was thus marked, with one
short stretch that had a sign "Keep Out". Still people fished all of it, so
the guy finally closed the entire stretch of water. I lost my favorite spot,
and I had helped with some of the stream cleanup and work on that stretch.
Please
beware and respect private property. If it is marked, stay out. 
society and see the good things we can see while we encourage others to
thrive in life.