10-28-13 Lunch on MBC at Eldora...just enough

After a great day of fishing like I had on Saturday (see post Clear Creek 10-26-13), you get back to work and soon figure out that is just isn't enough. Sometimes you just need more. You need to get enough.

So come lunch time Monday, I went to lunch with my co-worker and explained to her that one of my better bosses once told me that it's good to get away while your at work. Put everything down, and go to lunch. Get away and just forget about it for a bit.

So we did. I suggested driving down the hill and sitting next to the river for lunch today and she agreed. Once down there, we ate, and once I finished I asked her what time it was. 12:42 she said. I looked at the river. What a beautiful flow. I thought I probably shouldn't.

I then saw a mayfly land on the surface. I thought I probably better. Fish for 15 minutes, should be enough right?

What time is it I asked. 12:44 she said. I went to the back of my truck to see what gear I did have, knowing that the mother lode was at home. I looked around. One fly rod, six flies (most with tippet attached) and that was it.

Should be enough.

I tied on a stimulator and then a zebra midge and a Peacock LZ prince. What time is it I said. 12:49 she replied. 15 minutes and lunch was over.

Should be enough.

I was casting for about five minutes and I got a bite. Missed it, but got a bite. Kept casting. Nothing. Cast some more. More nothing.

I asked her what time it was. 1:02 she said. 2 minutes to go.

Should be enough.

I looked downstream at her and said watch this. I cast a couple more times and there it was. Took that stimmy right under. I started to look downstream to pat myself on the back and noticed that I was standing in the river. Usually, that is the goal in life; stand in the river. Well when you don't have waders and have to return to work, that is not the goal.

My co-worker came running over, laughing at me and trying to see my trout. I made land fall again and then landed my trout. A full-on post spawn male brooky with the most vivid colors. He went for the LZ. I showed him to my friend, and then released him on his way. That was just what I needed. A nice lunch time trout. A break away from the grind.

What time is it I asked for the last time. 1:04 she replied. Right on time.

I returned to work with soaked pants up to my lower thighs and was slightly wet for the next two hours, my shoes for at least four.

Work??? Nah. I call that a great day of fishing for 15 minutes in between something else.

It was only 15 minutes, but today, it was just enough.

Just enough.

Tight Lines

10-27-13 New Fly Recipes

I have thrown some new recipes on to the fly recipes page. Quite a few actually. I lost some when we converted to the new site. Look for the T.U.V. Midge, U.V. Thread Head, some new hotwire stones and some new RS-2's, including a great PMD emerger that you've already tied and just need to change up a little bit..

And you will also find the O.G.; a true original...the first Hull creation....the Hullablueza. This was my first true creation ever, and it worked in the first hole I fished it. It's been since that moment that I have been addicted to tying. I will never forget the feeling of redemption. Knowing that I took a piece of metal and wrapped it with thread, wire, and other materials of my own choosing and catching a trout was so rewarding to me. Since that day, I have never hesitated in fishing my own patterns. It gave me confidence that I carry to this day. And you have to have confidence in the fly your fishing. The reason I haven't posted it before is because it literally gives off so much light that up until my new camera came along, I couldn't take a good pic without turning the flash off and then the pic was too dark. If I left the flash on, the pic would just be blurry all the time. But I got a decent pic finally so go have a look.

Anyways, check out the new patterns. I have only posted pictures but I will get recipes out soon.

Tight Lines

CLH

10-26-13 Clear Creek clearly good

I headed up to Clear Creek today and it was just a beautiful day for standing in a river, but when isn't it right? I drove up highway 6 and oddly couldn't help but notice all the wonderful stretches of this river that I have never fished. With that thought in mind, I set out to find an all new spot. I received a tip from one of the local sites, guess which one, and what a tip indeed.

I started right below one of the tunnels, won't say which, and it was quite the spot. I was amazed at just how wide the stream bed was in this section and really enjoyed getting to fish some bigger water. Bigger compared to the usual 20' wide stretch that I normally find myself in anyways.

I thought about tying on a dry, and in retrospect, I  probably should have later in the day but it all worked out anyways. I did tie on a zebra midge with a black and yellow hotwire prince below it and that was all I needed.

This golden hotwire stone is money. I caught fish left and right on that thing all day. I didn't even get a bite on the either fly, of which I also tried a zebra midge emerger later on, and that didn't work either. Didn't need to though. The hotwire was on all day.

As far as my dry comment, it did get a little slower in the last hour but I also changed up to a palsa indicator as where I had a thingamabobber on early. I think I screwed up my rig as the fishing slowed sightly.

Feeling good with my day out on the water, I packed up and set out. A good day on the water for sure.

Side note: I will post a recipe for the hotwire golden stone (black and yellow hotwire) soon.

Side note 2: I have yet to exchange my waders so I borrowed a pair from the shop. I don't know what model they were, but I do know they were made by Redington. And let me just say, I will probably make these my next pair of waders.

They were really comfortable, really warm, and I really liked all the extra storage. They had a hand warmer pocket and the little tool pouch as well. On certain days, this would be all the storage I need. Definitely a great buy and highly recommended.

Guide tested, guide approved.

Tight Lines!

10-7-13 Boulder Creek is open season again

After the massive floods, most of the highways from Coal Creek north to Big Thompson Canyon closed. Because of it, and the weather, and the floods, fishing has been hard to come by.

Then I got called back to work for the season.

Big bummer. Bad news.

But none the less, we truck on. And, at last, good news. Hwy 119, aka Boulder Canyon, opened up. What a relief. Seeing how I drive the canyon at least 3-4 times a week in the summer, and no less than 5 in the winter, it was a great way to bring a sense of normality to my life. Knowing that I couldn't drive up either Boulder Canyon, Big Thompson Canyon, or Highway 36 (following the north St. Vrain) just didn't feel good. So alas, some well deserved fishing.

I don't usually do quite a bit of fall fishing so I was really looking forward to getting out. I set out above the falls in hopes of better flows and quite honestly, it was great. It took a while to get it going, as I threw out some different attractors both above and below the surface to no luck. I packed up and moved a bit downstream. After a while of still having no luck, and right when I was ready to concede and throw on a booger, I tied on a purple haze.

That's the ticket. I proceeded to catch about a half dozen and called it a day. I didn't need much. A trout or two, and some time in the river.


Mission accomplished.

Welcome back Boulder Creek.


Tight Lines.