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St. Vrain Angler News & Muse November 1, 2005
Greetings!
I hope this finds you well. I guess that's always my greeting
because
 that's
how I feel and think about everyone reading this missive at this time. Isn't
writing interesting? Stephen King says that writing is a form of telepathy:
the writer thinks something up and sends it to your head with words. We
don't have to see the same color of red when we talk about the red apple
lying on the white table cloth in the middle of a bright green room. We just
see it there. Will we look, or will we take a bite?
It's Fall. I've been daydreaming the past few days and it has
not been good. It has, in fact, been full of terrible temptations. On the
road behind the shop, just to the north, someone had the gall to rake up
leaves and put them neatly into paper bags, which have open tops, and then
stand the bags in rows adjacent to the curb. Well, every time I drive by I
really want to run right over those bags of leaves. I want to be driving
fast when I run them down, too. Well, I
haven't done it - that's the intellectual part saying "Now, now, Dale, we
don't need to make that mess for those folks," in response to the little red
devil sitting on my shoulder saying, "Go ahead! This will be fun!"
Oh well. Growing old is for the birds, or perhaps, for bags
of leaves.
It reminds me of a story that a friend told. He was a boy and
his mom made him rake the leaves and pile them near the curb on the street
in front of their house. Every day he'd finish and every afternoon bigger
kids with cars would plow through the leaves and scatter them about so Jim
had to rake them up again. One day he and his brother decided to rake the
leaves. Inside, and before making the pile, they made a cement block fort
that was several blocks wide, thick and high, then put the leaves over them.
That was the last time anyone drove through the pile of
leaves.
When I'm tempted to go fishing, I usually do, by the way.
Here's what we have for today's missive. Please, enjoy
reading it.
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There are still a couple spots left if you'd like to join us for
Tying Small Flies
this Thursday evening from 6:30-9:30PM. We'll meet at the
shop at 5:00PM - for those who can join us - for dinner at
O'Shay's, and return to the shop by 6:20 for the class. We'll tie midge
patterns, and I'll provide handouts, instruction, materials and lots of
tying and fishing tips. It promises to be lots of fun and informative too
boot. Bring your tools and thin thread; I'll provide other materials and
basic tying kits that you can use.
Please call the shop at 303-651-6061 to save your spot. Tuition is $25.00
per person. I hope to see you then! Sign Me Up!
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Tonight we begin another
Introduction to Fly Tying
class. One or
 two
spots are open, and I hope one or two of you will call to sign up, and join
us for this enjoyable, informative tying class.
We
have all the tools and materials you'll need to become an excellent fly
tier. We love teaching fly tying classes, and this one is the best around.
The class will be held on four consecutive Tuesday evenings from
7:00-9:30PM. We provide our award winning syllabus and all the materials and
instruction used during the class. Each evening there will be special offers
available so you can get the materials you'll need to tie the flies we cover
that night. Tuition is $70.00 for all four sessions. Please call today to
sign up - 303-651-6061. Thanks!
Scott Kelsey will be teaching tonight's class. Scott took this class a
couple years ago from us, and has taken several intermediate classes as
well. In addition, he's learned to tie Atlantic Salmon flies and has tried
lots of other techniques. Scott has tied lots of flies, too, which makes a
big difference in understanding how to explain tying techniques while
demonstrating them. This class promises to be great, and I know everyone
will enjoy it very much.
I'm also always available to answer fly tying questions, and love doing it.
I'm going to be working on a set of DVD's on specific tying tips that I'll
share with you as time moves on. See more info on this below.
Here are a few flies that Scott tied this weekend, and wanted to share with
all of us. Aren't they lovely? Sign Me Up!
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On Friday and Saturday, November
25-26, 2005 I'm going to host an Introduction To Fly Tying Super
Session. This will be
 two
days of intensive and enjoyable fly tying fun for a small group of folks
who have limited time, but great interest in learning to tie flies.
Session will begin each day at 10AM and continue until 4PM, with a break
for lunch. To review or learn fly tying basics, this is the course for
you. We'll tie a variety of fly patterns and learn the use of materials,
proportions, techniques and much more. Each student will receive one
perfectly tied pattern to imitate for each fly tied. Handouts and
materials will be included and special offers on tying tools and
materials will be made to all who attend. This is for you! Please join
me. Tuition is $150.00 per person and attendance will be limited to the
first 6 people who sign up.
Sign Me Up! |
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All week:
We'll have a special sale on discontinued and overstocked fly rods and
other fishing gear. For a list of the rods, please follow the link to
Sale Rods 102005.
We also have end-of-season clothing, wading shoes and other overstocked
items. Please call 303-651-6061 for details, or stop by the shop at 418
Main Street, Longmont, CO. Thanks!
Sign Me Up! |
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Hackle Swap Time! We're forming another
Hackle Swap. This has become famous near and far and I hope you'll take
advantage of this tremendous value. Here's what we do: I purchase full
Whiting Farm Saddles in various colors and sizes. Generally, we get the
number of saddles that there are folks in the swap, then one evening we pull
all of the feathers, count them into stacks and share one stack from each
saddle with each person who's signed up. So, for the price of one saddle
you'll get multiple colors and sizes to tie various flies. This is a great
value for our customers. Sign up soon! Tuition is $80.00 per person.
303-651-6061 or Sign Me Up!
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I am available for
Private Fly Tying instruction or Private
Casting Instruction. Please drop me a note with your interest and we'll set
a
 time.
I'm happy to help with any tying or casting dilemmas you find yourself
horned on (on the horns of a dilemma, get it?) and will all I can to share
tips and techniques that will solve fly fishing problems.
Private Casting is $100.00 and most
sessions last for about one hour. Private Fly Tying will be charged at
$75.00 per hour, or $50.00 per hour per person if more than one person
attends.
Please drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com or call the
shop at 303-651-6061 to reserve your time. Thanks. Dale
Sign Me Up!
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There's still time for an instructional
Guided Trip this fall. The fishing continues to be very good in the Park
and along the Big Thompson. Our friendly guides will teach you to fish in
shallow, slow, cold water and help with tips that will serve you well now
and into the future. I hope you'll sign up and take an outing soon. We'll
limit trips to 6-hours now, as the days are cooler and shorter. Trips will
begin at the St. Vrain Angler in Longmont at 9AM and you'll be back by about
5PM. Sign Me Up!
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Midge Special!
Each daylight hour becomes more precious this time of year. Daylight is
fading and darkness is at hand. This makes fishing time shorter,
 which
is probably just as well due to cold air, water and toes. Warm soup sure
tastes good right about now.
The lovely brown trout, at left, was one I caught last week when fishing
late one afternoon with Frank. Can you see the fly in the corner of the
fish's mouth? It's a little midge dry pattern, and the fish took it with
confidence. After our greeting and photo session we let the fish go. He swam
off to figure out what in world went on, which probably took about eight
seconds, and then returned to being a brown trout, unthinking but knowing
how to survive in his environs.
Here's a midge special for you. Take advantage of either - or both - offers
and enjoy tying and fishing with midge patterns. We sure love fishing with
these small flies this time of the year.
If
you can't attend the Tying Small Flies session we're holding this week, try
our Midge Tying Kit. Each kit has enough materials to tie six
flies of one type in two sizes. That's a dozen flies per style. Here's what
we provide:
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Three each of Tiemco hooks of proper size and type. |
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All materials, other than thread, to tie the flies. |
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One sample of the Kit Fly. |
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Tying instructions. |
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Laminated Fishing Tips & Midge Identification Card |
OR our Midge Fishing Kit. Each
kit contains the following:
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Three each Dale's Midge Larva, Dale's Midge Emerger, Dale's
Midge Adult, Dale's Spent Midge Adult. That's one dozen flies. |
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A spool of 6X tippet material - you need fresh stuff this
time of year. |
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Laminated Fishing Tips & Midge Identification Card |
How much? The Midge Tying Kit is $9.95.
The Midge Fishing Kit is $24.95.
Order now! Call 303-651-6061 or fill in the form provided.
We'll call you for credit card info and mail your goodies right out!
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Here's more reason to take advantage of the
above offer, if you'd like. The Fly Of The Month for November is
Dale's Midge Adult. You can
follow the link for some tying and fishing info. Does that whet the appetite
for more? Take advantage of the Tying Seminar on Thursday and the
Midge Tying Kit and Midge Fishing Kit, above. Thanks!
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Fishing Pictures & Fly
Fishing Fun! |
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This is a pretty, classic brown trout. Frank took the picture
after I hooked this fish on a very small midge emerger pattern. I tied some
for the shop if you'd like to try them out. It was an older pattern for me,
and when I saw it in the box I thought I just had to fish with it. Still
worked, too. |
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Frank hooked this nice brown in some slow water, but the fish
swam into fast water. We were using fairly light tippet material so we
needed to let the fish do its thing. When he got the fish into slower water
- above at right - he got the fish under control, landed it, removed the
hook and let it go in slow water so it could revive. |
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There are lots of spots for fish to hold in this broken
water, which is very shallow along the front side of all of the rocks, and
gets deeper where all of the currents come together. The fish will hold in
the shallow current lanes here and take small dries, or in the deeper water
when they eat nymphs. Try it. |
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On many of the streams brown trout are making redds to spawn.
When you see clean gravel, as at left, that's free of debris and silt that's
a spot the fish are making to lay their eggs. Often we see a larger fish -
usually the hen - and several smaller fish - the bucks - chasing each other
around. They are spawning. Leave 'em alone. |
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This is a pictures shared by one of our out-of-town friends,
who might prefer being here and fishing now, of a Greenback that was hiding
out in shallow water in the Park earlier this season. Neat shot, huh? |
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These are spawning Brook trout. Notice the vibrant colors?
Red fins highlighted with white and black stripes mark spawning Brookies.
Lovely, huh? Want more brook trout next season? Leave them alone for now. |
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Note how our friend Steve is supporting this rather large
rainbow while the picture is taken. A fish like this can get internal damage
if it is held out of the water too long or incorrectly. Steve is supporting
the fish under its mid-section while holding the tail. Revive the fish by
gently moving it forward and back so water goes through its gills. |
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Our carp guide
Andrew spent a day with his friends at Red Feather Lakes. As you can see
they hooked and landed some fish and had a fine time with one another. Is
there any significance to the setting sun? Perhaps the last day on a lake,
fishing for trout with flies? I don't know. Let your imagination soar. |
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"What in the world is that thing in the net?" It looks pretty
neat, and one of these days this youngster will be fishing and caring about
the environs where fish are found. It means clean water and enough of it to
support both fish and the many other species that depend on water in order
to survive and thrive. Anyone take a drink of water today? |
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Our lovely friend Shirley, picture taken by husband, Tom,
with a friendly and fat rainbow from a special spot in New Mexico. I don't
know the spot, but I think you can go there for a price. If you are
interested, I'll ask them for the info. Cool, huh? |
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Both of the above shots were taken last Sunday in the Park.
Snow anyone? Don't like it? Well, stick around. It will clear off, and
you'll be able to listen to the silence, which is what Frank said he was
doing. Oh yeah; he caught some fish, too. |
Our friend Mark K, who's working hard with the local Trout
Unlimited Club, found similar conditions on the South Platte between Spinney
and 11-Mile reservoirs. How about that Kokanee? How about that Brown? How
about that weather? Time for fishing! |
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Eric hooked a nice largemouth bass on a recent trip to Lake
Powell with his brother. This was his first fly-caught bass, and he was
pretty excited about it. He also hooked the nice Cutt this fall in the Park.
It's nice when people fish. |
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When you have pictures to share, just drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com and send the
pictures as JPEG attachments. I'll figure out how to make them work from
there, if that's okay with you. Tell me what you want folks to know about
the fish - what you hooked them on, when and where and so on - and I'll
share it with your fellow readers. This is neat stuff, so join the fun!
Thanks!
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You've Read it on the
Page
now
See it on the Stage
The Great Debate
A Fantasia for Anglers
by
Gordon M. Wickstrom
Produced by
The Whole and Ancient Company of AnglersTM
at the
Auditorium of the Boulder Public Library
Sunday afternoon at 4:00
on
November 6, 2005
Free Admission
See the two greatest fly fishermen of their day, Frederic M. Halford and
G.E.M. Skues, debate that most contentious issue : the Floating vs. the Sunk
fly.
With the noted actors:
Mr. Caskey as Skues; Mr. Giffin as Halford;
Mr. Squier as Marston; Mr. Sandoe as the Host; and Mr. Thorp as La Branche.
Directed and supported by the author.
Don't miss it!
Like Nothing Else in All of Fishing
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Thanks for all the kind words about
Rachel and Aaron's engagement. To say the least there is lots of excitement
in the Darling and Gordon households. Shan and I will go for a visit in
Durango this weekend and I'm going to do a seminar for the Music students at
Ft. Lewis College on Music Composition. This will be lots of fun!
I've also been booked to do ten days of programs and clinics
in Southern
California in February - of 2007! How about that one?
I'd really like to do a program and clinic for your fishing
club or organization. Just let me know and we'll get it set up. Please
follow this link: Dale's Programs. I'll get
with you.
Fall fishing is great. Hope you'll get out and enjoy the
fresh air and lovely colors soon, and then again.
Several of us hope to depart next Wednesday for Ascension Bay
in Mexico. We'll fish for bonefish, permit, tarpon, barracuda, jack,
ladyfish, snapper, snook and several other species of flats fish. We should
have gone when Wilma showed up and decided against it, which was a good
deal. If you are interested in joining us for a saltwater adventure, please
contact me at angler@peakpeak.com
We have a Christmas Island trip booked from January 10-17, 2006 and it
should be fabulous. The air situation is fixed, and we're ready to go. We'll
also do another Ascension Bay trip in February, and Couples Getaway to
Belize in March and a Bahamas adventure in April.
Classes continue. Clinics are on Saturday morning from 10AM
until Noon, and full of fun and information.
I hope you are doing well, and look forward to hearing from
or seeing you soon. Please remember our Winter hours: Tuesday-Friday
9:30-6:00 and Saturday from 9:00-4:00. We're closed for family, writing and
fishing time on Sunday and Monday.
See you soon. Thanks for reading.
Dale Darling |
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