FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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I have been fighting a cold this week so just did a couple of short trips, one to a creek and one to the river.  The water level at the creek I am fishing is just about perfect and it is giving me a chance to catch a few more on the fly rod.  My casting still leaves something to be desired, it is brush lined and can be tough.

Big or small I am happy with every single one.

The best for a short session.

I am still using a dry/dropper rig and today not a one made a feeble attempt at the dry.  I think the 5x tippet helps get bites in the clear water.  Only saw one take a pass at it and turn off, but I did miss a couple.  It sill amazes me how often they actually stay on those teeny tiny hooks.

Slowly but surely starting to get the hang of it.

As soon as I get over this cold, it kept me down all day yesterday there is a couple of other places I want to try as the water recedes and the creeks keep running clear.  And as in all fishing conditions change and we have gotten rain off and on for the last few days.  The creeks are back up and off color so it will be few day before they stabilize and clear.

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The River

The Rio Grande is still high and running fairly hard.  It is no big deal for the drift fishermen and lots of folks are having at it.  From the shore is a little different story.

This was a nice one, too bad I didn’t get his head in the pic.

I went to my favorite honey hole which always holds plenty of browns.  The only problem – the spot is across the river and it takes a perfect cast to get a bite.  Starting with jigs did not produce a bite so time for a minnow bait.  Unfortunately, my good Rapalas were in the boat but did have a minnow style in the box so tossed that.  I really like the way a brown hit the crankbait.  The purists may not like it but too bad, I have always said if it is legal it is not any of your or my business how we fish.  (If you don’t like it don’t watch.  See below.)  Fly fishermen are an interesting bunch and lurking on the Colorado page can be entertaining, lots of drama.  Plenty of key board warriors, worse than a bunch of high school girls.  No offense to girls.

The water is falling on the river, and it is about to get good.

You literally had to cast it across the river and land it an inch from the bank, and then a couple of little jerks and if no bite do it again.  Funny 3 drift boats went down the bank and not a one got a bite on the spot, but they were fishing dry flies and that bank is deep.

Got to love how aggressive brown trout will get at times.

And of course, then it happened, a big one smacked it and the fight was on.  Since I am using 4lb test there is no hurrying them in that heavy current.  He got way down river and once straight down pulled off.  Not sure what I could have done to save that one but it sure was heavy.

While it was a really short trip it let me know what I needed to: which is the river fishing is not that far behind the creek.  But it is still running a little too high and fast for me to wade it but that’s ok, there is always the lakes.  Sure is nice to have plenty of options.

**************The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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The folks next door are here and the guys hired a guide for a drift fishing trip, and they absolutely smoked them on dry flies.  He had some pics of some really nice browns, and he lost a really big rainbow.  With the high water the fish are on the banks and he said they averaged about 1 for 3 on hookups.  He has hired the same guy the last 3 years and was definitely happy with the results.  Water levels are the key to much of the fishing around here and I have filed this level away for future use.

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Since I have been retired and don’t usually fish the weekends Bassmaster TV tournaments are often on the menu Saturday morning.  But with the advent of the forward facing sonar I have watched less and less, and today was the worst.  It was bad enough watching TV watching them watching tv as they were catching big fish on Fork, but this weekend is the last straw for me.  It gives boring a new name and even one of the competitors said he wished he was fishing a frog around visible cover he could see instead of staring at the TV.  I know Bass could give a rat’s ass whether I watch the show or not but on the other hand I could give a rat’s ass if I ever watch them again, so we are even.

In that vein on the way here while towing the boat a guy approached me at the gas station to compliment the boat and I found out he was a big bass fisherman with 2 sons who fish the local high school tournaments.  The subject of FFS came up and he said their club had banned it as unfair for the kids who cannot afford it.  He had even gone so far as to leave the locators off his boat when he fished with the kids.  He understands the necessity of them learning to “fish.”  I admit it is a new world, but it does not mean I have to like it.

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I was going to sneak in a day at the lake yesterday as I am finally feeling better, and the rain was not supposed to come until midafternoon.  When taking the cover off the boat there was no key in the motor.  I cannot remember the last time I removed a key from an engine, but it literally has been years.  The difference is it had a float on it so at some point trailering home on the rough roads it somehow came out.  Great, the spare is in Texas, at least so I thought.  Called the Boss and she searched for the file on the purchase and could not find the spare key.  Then after tearing the boat apart looking for the key before finally giving up, I had an epiphany.  When I rigged the boat I put it in the waterproof box with the paperwork.  At least I found it just in time for it to start raining.  Oh well at least I am ready to go Monday.

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It will be interesting as far as the weather goes around South Fork.  Afternoon rain is in the forecast for the next week.  One of the local weather dudes said the instability in the Gulf was bringing the moisture and rains to Colorado.  Guess I will have to get up early and get out so I can fish the lakes this week.  And there is a really high mountain steam I want to check out, it will be interesting to compare water levels on the same creek up high and down low.  And time to get the big camera out after having a nice buck in the back yard with the beginnings of a huge rack in velvet.  Can’t wait for fall and the full on animal chasing to come.

Guess I better get off my butt and work out, then do something constructive.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines