Let's change it up....big time. Life's too short not to. Blue River 2-24-18

Sometimes you just got to toss it up, mix it up, stir it up, and change it and just get out right crazy in life, right? I've been managing people in the food and beverage industry for the last 20 years (at a ski resort for the last 7 years) in one regard or another and I really can't take much more. If you've never done it, you may no tget it. If you have, you most certainly will. You're success depends on the will, skill, and talent of others. I'm 40 years old & I think I'm going through a midlife crisis. I work (ed-you'll see) about 60 to 70 hours per week and I'm lucky if I have one day off every week. I got to thinking about everything, kind of took a look from the outside (the outsiders outside) and realized that I'm not living the life that I want to. Although the winter time job does seem to pay the bills and provide health insurance, it's just not the way I want to be living. No fun no more. No fun, no more. I did a lot of contemplating, especially after getting some pressure from the boss, and being told it was going to be his way or the highway.

Long story short, I've committed to guiding full-time. I've done this the last six seasons summer time and being the lead guy, they keep me pretty busy. Now I'm at the point where I've got to keep myself busy for 4 months in between the slow seasons.I'll cross that bridge when I get there, and hopefully there's a fly rod in my hand when I do. Without putting in too much effort in just a short time, I've already gotten a couple great (out of state winter time guiding) leads and ideas from some of the other guides. So, we'll see. I just know I'm not looking back. Not for the short haul anyways. I would like to explore my options and book a ton of trips, sell a lot of flies, and live for a little bit in the mean time. Life's too short. It's time to enjoy it a little.

That said, I knew that getting in my first trip of the season would be a great day for me. The shop called two weeks before I had committed to quitting and so I knew that I had a trip coming up anyways and was already really looking forward to it. I'm sure it didn't hurt the decision making process knowing in my head that if I did quit my job the day that I actually did, I'd have a trip the next day. I knew we'd be headed to the Blue come hell or coldest water ever. But either way it would be a great day out. Couldn't wait.

After doing the formals, we left the shop around 9:30;  a little later than I like for going to the Blue. I told the client this but they didn't want to get to the shop quite too early because of the snow that had come in the night before. On our way out to Golden it looked like I had driven back up to the ski resort (unnamed) that I just quit the day before.

Not a ski resort. The beginning of something new. Something fishy, something better. A new road, a new adventure. We'll get there. You just have to take the right road and have some patience. (Highway 93-closed right after we passed through due to blowing snow and drifting. It WAS pretty crazy, and I have a Jeepster) 

Normally this might put me in a little moody mood but today I just smiled (large smiles) and knew that it was the beginning of a whole new start for myself. The start of a guide season. No need to rush, right?

After making our way through Antarctica on Highway 93 we made it to Golden. I found out later that they closed 93 that day and it must have been right after we got through there. I-70 was clear sailing as far as snow although the traffic was still a little heavy from the snowboarders and skiers going up that day.

It ended up being around noon by the time we got on the water. It was super cold about, 7 degrees and I told my client that it wouldn't get much warmer so they oughta bundle up. The client's wife decided to just stick around in the truck all day and never did ended up fishing at all because it was so cold. So it was just the dead, son and myself.

We started right below I-70 and within about a half an hour one client was into a smaller brown trout on the hole above. With it being slightly windy and so cold I knew that it would be a semi slow day, especially with the late start.

We ended up not seeing too many bugs and only two risers all day and sure enough it was pretty slow all day. I think we missed three or four on a nymph rig from setting the hook a little too late but beyond that, pretty slow. Threw just about everything in the box too. We caught the one on a Mysis shrimp and had midges and annelids and baetis and all kinds of good stuff on for the rest of the day and still pretty slow. Flows were down and that didn't help much either.

A look towards the dam from the Big Blue. Thanks B, a great start to the season. 

All in all though it was a great day spent on the water with a couple of great clients and it wasn't managing 40 people in the food and beverage industry so a real win-win for Chris.

Got another trip coming up next weekend, group trip probably headed up to Big Thompson...we'll keep you posted and I'll see you out there a little more often from now on, I promise (myself).

Quick note...Clear Creek open (about 80-90%) from Loveland to Silver Plume. Things that make you go hmmm. Cutties before April?

Tight lines-