St. Vrain Angler News & Muse October 26, 2004

Greetings!

Mark and I hope this finds you well today, continuing to enjoy the lovely Fall we're experiencing. The last couple mornings have met us with frost on the ground and more snow on the mountains. Some of the ski area are open and others are getting ready. Snow is a good thing in Colorado and it seems we are off to a good start on snow pack. Let's hope that trend will continue.

Folks are still fly fishing and having fun too boot. Water levels are good, fish are hungry and bugs are emerging. What more can we ask? Remember our battle cry: Let's Go Fishing!

Today's News & Muse has updates on Classes, an attractive offer on my Fish! Bugs! Flies! Solution Booklet, held over for a second week, and news about upcoming trips with our TU club and the shop. Enjoy!

Mark was out on Sunday with a late-in-the-season 1st Adventure in Fly Fishing - a couple of folks had to do it now, so we did it now - and he said the fishing on the Big T was very good. The folks on the outing had a fine time, as did Mark. St. Vrain Angler's 1st Adventure in Fly Fishing is as good an introduction to fly fishing program as is, and we taught several classes a month all summer. When the weather is good in the fall or early spring, it is not unusual for folks to request a session, and we try to do it. If you know anyone who wants to learn to fly fish, please let us know. Thanks.

While teaching fly fishing is closest to our hearts, it is fly tying that takes precedence this time of the year. The first Introduction to Fly Tying class went very well, and a second has already commenced. We'll begin an Intermediate Fly Tying Class within the next two weeks, and our Saturday Morning Clinics are off to a fine start (see picture at left). Last Tuesday night I hosted fellows who are joining me for the Christmas Island trip in January, and we learned to tie big gurglers. We hope the flies will hook big trevally, and will keep you posted.

Fly Tying is what got me into this business in the beginning. Shan and I moved to Boulder in August of 1979 and I started a doctoral program in music composition. I knew I needed to fly fish for trout - growing up in Ohio meant fishing for bass, bluegill, crappie, pike and walleye - and I also knew there was no way I could afford to buy flies. So, I started tying them, selling a few and so on, and now, twenty-five years later, here we are with fly shops. Hmmm. I've always said that to own a fly shop - or to be owned by one - a person has to be an idiot, and the requirements for me included a DMA in composition.

That's a nice brown from the North Platte, huh?

For many years, I tied an average of ten dozen flies every day. Yep, it was crazy, but it made me a good fly tier - after that many flies, even I got good at it, you see - and it has allowed me to teach fly tying in a way that is unique and useful to my friends and our customers. I hope you will take advantage of the fly tying opportunities we offer. You will be glad you did!

Filling your fly box with flies that you tied, then getting on the water and fooling fish with them is one of the brilliant experiences of fly fishing. We'll help.

The next Introduction to Fly Tying Class begins on November 16, 2004. Sign up soon. Additional classes will be available after the first of the year. Thanks!

Last week I posted a report from Dan about the last Shop Trip. Several folks asked about the next one, and here it is! We'll be heading to Lake George and 11-Mile Canyon. The plan is to leave from the shop in Longmont on Saturday afternoon, November 20, 2004. We'll drive to Lake George where we'll hole up in our friend Tom's cabins. There's a restaurant in town where we will eat. That covers the eat-sleep part. Now, the fish! We'll be within a 30 minute drive from 11-Mile canyon or the Dream Stream. Chances are good that both will get fished by some of us, maybe all of us. The Dream Stream - that area between Spinney Mountain Reservoir and 11-Mile Reservoir - has been fishing pretty well. Mark caught an ENORMOUS brown last week; you'll see it next week in this missive, by the way. Eleven-Mile Canyon, from all reports, has been fishing well, too. We expect good emergences of beatis - small, olive mayflies - and midges. The Dream Stream will fish well with big streamers - who knows, a few Kokanee salmon may be in the river by then - or scuds, midges and so on. Very large fish are moving out of 11-Mile into the river, and chances are good that you will hang a hog. Or hook a hog, as the case might be.

This is an enjoyable trip, and we'll do it again during the winter months. It is a chance for new folks new meet and fish together, and plenty of lying will happen. If you can join us for Sunday fishing, that's fine. We meet at the restaurant in the morning for breakfast. If you can join us for both nights, we'll car pool. Some folks will spend one night at the cabins and head home on Sunday; others will spend both nights and come back on Monday night. Drop me a line at angler@peakpeak.com or give us a call at 303-651-6061 to sign up. Mark will make reservations for the cabins, and we'll figure out who's going in what car. Mark and I will help with the gear you'll need, including flies and tippet material. Join the fun! These trips are great.

Here's a pictorial report on the 1st Adventure session I mentioned earlier. Enjoy!

First, we tie a few knots and discuss the basics of getting started in fly fishing. Water types, the needs of a trout, bugs, flies and so on are covered so folks know what to expect when we get to the water.

Once on the water, we rig up and take a look at bugs, the flows, the water types and so on, talking about where trout might be holding under the conditions we find at that time.

There are always lots of smiles.

The techniques we discussed during class - fishing with a nymph, fishing with a dry, fishing with a dry and dropper - are then explained and done on the water.

Generally, fish are hooked, and few are landed. As you can see, our friends from Sunday hooked a few and seemed to smile at all times!

We learn how to control and land trout once they are hooked. That's a good thing to know.

And, we learn to use the Ketchum Release tool, so fish do not have to be handled.

It is easier on trout, and doesn't destroy flies! Both are good things, don't you think?

Of course sometimes you have to hold a fish up for a picture. When that's the case, cradle the fish in your wet hand. Don't squeeze. Hold the fish out of the water for the moment of the picture, and then gently return it to the water, make sure it is revived and go catch another one.

Maybe it will be a rainbow!

Did you know that trout are actually very high tech? All of the fish above were on-line when these pictures were taken. In case you were wondering, there was a loud cymbal crash as you read that.

If you think that's bad, check the picture at the left. I've received a couple of them and thought I'd share it with you. Pretty funny, that religious fishing humor. In this season of wonderful and accurate political advertising, we might just as well mix our fishing with the other do-not-talk-about subject, huh?

In fact, there is something rather profound about this cartoon. Know what it is? The fly has to be in the water in order to hook fish.

Imagine. Old Moses knowing something like that.

For more on putting the fly in the right spot, visit the recently completed Fall Fly Fishing page.

In last week's missive I made an offer for the new, revised Fish! Bugs! Flies! Solutions booklet, and the response was overwhelming. I'm going to repeat the offer this week for those of you who were a little late pulling the trigger last week. If you would like your copy of this clear, concise booklet that discusses how trout feed, the bugs they eat and the flies that imitate those bugs, drop me a line at angler@peakpeak.com or give Mark a call at 303-651-6061 to order yours. This will be the last week I'll offer this booklet at only $5.00 plus shipping of $1.00. If you live out of the area and would like a copy, just drop me a note and we'll send it. Thanks!

As you read this, I'm working on a revision and new publication that will be called Winter Fly Fishing Solutions. The booklet will cover how trout live in the winter months, how they feed, the insects that are most active and the fly patterns that will fool fish. There is a very complete fly tying section in this booklet as well, so it serves as both a fly fishing and fly tying tips book.

The Solutions Booklets are the culmination of many years frittered away on trout streams and at the fly tying vise by yours truly. I hope to sell lots of them as I feel they are clear, concise booklets that explain the topic in a way that will help folks enjoy the time they have to tie and fish. I hope you agree.

Thanks to each of you who read this weekly missive. I appreciate all of the positive feedback. I'm always open to other info that you'd like hear about, too. Mark and I work very hard each week as we try to fulfill your fly fishing dreams. I'm pretty sure we're not great business folks, but we do love teaching you, encouraging you and helping you enjoy the time you have to fly fish. As you have time, peruse this site for helpful information. I'm always revising and adding info, so there may be a few diamonds in the rough out there that you'll enjoy.

I hope this is a great week for each of you. Is anyone else tiring of the political tirades? I suppose so. Study the issues at hand and do vote. While some of the ranting is pretty ridiculous, there are good people running who want to serve their community and society. Let's figure out who they are and give them a chance, shall we?

If you need any fly fishing goodies, please think of us first. We have stuff you want, and we'll hold on to it until you can pick it up.

Thanks for reading. I'll talk with you again next week.

Dale Darling

    Rambling, but caring.

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