FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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11,600 Rocky Mountain Feet High

No motorized vehicles and we mean it.

The last couple of years I have driven by this closed Forest Service Road that looked perfect for a hike so today the Boss and I decided to give it a go.  It started at 11,600 feet and on our walk, it dropped 400 feet when we turned around after exactly a mile.  You always have to remember if you hike down it will be up on the way back.  The air is just a little thin up there but that is part of it.  The best part – not a soul in sight and in the couple of hours we hiked not a sound other than the birds.

The Forest Service has been closing these old logging roads to all motorized vehicles, with a gate or in this case trees across the road blocking access.  They are working towards letting the land return to nature.  One great program as America is loving our lands to death so anything to reduce wear and tear on the resource is a good thing.

We have all the required stuff to keep as safe as possible, from spray to compass, survival fire starter, space sleeping bags which weigh an ounce but will save your life, and a firearm.  But the most important – water, half on the way-out then time to turn around. One thing you learn from being a paramedic and now the Boss as an ER PA, stuff happens.  You here stuff like this all the time; It won’t happen to me, that happens to other folks, or it is no big deal, it will be fine, you hear it all while you are taking care of folks.  No such thing as over prepared.

In our case walking these closed roads gives us the best chance to enjoy the mountains and maybe see some wildlife.  We spend time looking at tracks, today clearly a bear track along with elk and mule deer.  There are tons of mushrooms coming out right now, next year it will be the foraging class, as some looked delicious.  Several today had just broken through the ground, as we are getting rain every evening then warm days.   On our way home the air temp fell from 81 to 55 with cool rain.  I was told about the monsoon season, and this would be it.

Almost started the bear spray extravaganza.  

When we parked, we noticed this girl a little down the road so I took this picture.  As we got the “stuff” ready for the hike she hoped the trail into the brush.  As we made our way down the road she must have bedded down and we surprised her.  She literally exploded out of the grass with a huge jump and off she went.  Meanwhile the Boss had the bear spray out and was ready to go to war.  It happened so fast she thought it might be a lion.  This kind of encounter makes these mountains what they are; the great outdoors.

The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends.

Along the way we jumped 3 grouse who took off in that characteristic wing sounds.  A little later we saw a nice buck who did not hear us coming and he bolted before I could get a picture.  But who cares it was just as cool this time as the others.  You can go to Yellowstone, Estes, RMNP, and others and see some great wildlife and get great pics, but those are habituated to humans and basically carry on with their business.  These guys up here are hardcore wild and there is no waiting around.

One of the many high mountain lakes.  Fish probably but you would have to seriously man up to find out.

After the hike we drove another 30 miles just to enjoy the scenery.  Other than a couple of folks cutting fence posts and firewood there was no traffic.  We had 2 does and a fawn cross the road.  The does went up in the timber but the fawn was doing the mule deer hop down the road.  But mom came back down and corralled her and off they went.  A great ending to a fun day.

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Williams Creek is in beautiful surroundings.

As we were asked to lunch on Wednesday in Pagosa we got up early and went up to Williams Creek which I have fished several times from the bank.  In fact in a stroke of luck one time I caught several Kokanee from the bank.  So the plan today was the Boss was going to walk and then kayak and it was fishing for me.

Only fishing from the bank I had no clue how deep it was.  It turned out to be in the 50’s in the deepest part.  The goal was to catch Kokanee and not trout and in the short time I was there 3 jumped on.  It could have been more, but a few jumped off and by time I found them it was time to head to town.  The lake is fairly small which helps a lot.  Hopefully will get to fish it this fall, a limit of 10 would be nice.  The ones we kept ended up being fresh salmon dip.  Well worth effort to catch them, give me another year and maybe I will know a little more than I do now.

But I did make one call and it has led to lots of bites no matter where I am fishing.  I called the Boss and said look at Amazon with me and you will see the fish bites.  They come in lots of styles but the ones I want are the pink strips in a shrimp and she picked them up at Academy.  Kokanee love pink fire corn tipped lures and are big on smell.  As filters feeders the triggering reason they bite is as varied as fishermen, but they sure do like them.  Can’t wait to get back come this fall and catch more.  And with a snagging season on them when they head up the creeks to spawn in the falls there is plenty to learn.

A Kokanee salmon.  My current nemesis.

So for a short trip it was successful, especially on the plate.  And it was the first time we transported the yak in the boat, which went just fine.  Just have to remember to let a little air out so it does not explode over the pass.  Sure is interesting here.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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The reason we did not stay longer is we were meeting a reader and his wife for lunch in Pagosa.  Rick and Gayle are from LaGrange, since they were here he dropped me a note and wanted to meet us for lunch.  They are great folks and we enjoyed chatting with them.  Thanks, great meeting you.

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Guess what these are.

Just what is this?

I just could not figure it out until it dawned on me what they were for.

I just thought they were cool looking.  You see these in the country in this part of Colorado.  It just never occurred to me that this area grows lots of potato’s and these were the storage bins from the old days.  It was a tough way to make a living but now north of here there are big potato farms. On one of our drives as we passed a storage facility with a semi next to it and the potatoes were flying out of the elevator.   Who would have thought it was such a big potato area.

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This is actually the rainy season here in the high mountains and we are having rain most every afternoon.  What makes it great is the temp drops into the 50’s and we have all the windows open.  Along with that is small hail the last couple of afternoons.  The real side effect is thunder, it thunders daily.  Yesterday as it thundered the turkeys were gobbling behind the house.

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We have a couple of days before we head back to Texas. It has been a great time and if I get lucky it will be one more stretch here before closing out in Texas.  Time to meet with the realator and really get serious about the house selling thing.  Timing is everything.  So I am sure there is plenty to do but fall is coming, the crowds will be gone, and the animals on the move.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

I am so appreciative of the time I have been able to spend out here the last 2 years, lucky does not describe it.  But with that comes a bigger appreciation for the Boss finishing out the year before she retires for good.  So when she comes it is what does she want to do.  I can do it anytime, so we started out with our favorite activity, a drive looking for animals and a hike, and today was perfect.

Though we have driven much of the high roads there are still plenty to go so today we tried a different off one of our favorites.  As we wound higher up we came to a cool meadow with a creek running through it.  The plan was to walk the bottom for a ways and then walk a cow path back even higher in the woods.

10,600 feet and off we go.

As we walked the bottom watching the creek, did not see any trout but there had to be a few small ones as there were undercut banks that were deeper than they looked.  But that is for another day.  Today we just wanted to be outside, maybe find a shed and just enjoy where we were.  We did spook a fawn out of the high grass and it bounded off in the woods.

And the short cut back through the woods.

A stunning day with my best friend.  Working on her acclimation, above 10,000 is a little thin.

We hiked just a mile but it took 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Unlike our workouts we do not hurry but take the time to look at everything, you never know what you might see or find.  But our favorite part of our time on the mountain, until we headed back at noon, we did not see a soul and it was wonderfully quiet.  No cell phones, no traffic, you can just unplug and appreciate where you are.

In spite of the fact they are about 20′ from me if I just don’t move they won’t see me. All ears. 

Then we headed further up and finally turned around at well over 11,000 feet, which is approaching the tree line.  There is still plenty of road to go, a little map study and we will adventure even farther up.  Some of the roads here go to nowhere but as most were primarily logging roads they just keep on going.  But the forest service have closed much of the logging in some areas, and they have started blocking off some of the older roads.  The woods are fragile and it will take years and years for some to revert back.  But until then the ones gated and closed to motor vehicles make for a great hike.

This guy gave us a 30 second look before he blew out.  Stunning how pretty their coats are after finally shedding the ragged winter stuff.

It is green in the high mountains and the flowers are in bloom.   Plenty of opportunities for artsy fartsy shots if that is your thing.

After our morning out we cannot even get back to our driveway without another buck in velvet.  They sure are cool looking.

Monday we headed to Big Meadow so Nancy could get out her yak and do a walk around the lake while I caught a few trout for supper.  We had never walked the trail completely around the lake so she tracked her hike and it was 3 miles of beautiful country.  She saw the resident eagle and I had an osprey dive bomb a trout and fly right in front of me.

The water temp on area lakes is rising and Big Meadow was 66 degrees.  On her hike she crossed the feeder creek and it was full of trout which obviously followed the cool rain we are getting every evening.  The only downside is the hail the last few nights.  No big deal as it is small but it sure is amazing how often it happens.  Maybe something to do with the temp dropping 25 degrees once it starts raining.  But I will trade the Texas weather for this all day long.

And one last word on the lake.  The lake is small and only takes a few minutes to go from the ramp to the back end.  It is so popular with kayakers, and there were at least 15 on the lake while we were there.  So to the asshole with a bass boat and Texas numbers who put it on plane and ran a total of 2 minutes wide open making a huge wake are you that privileged or just a horse’s butt?  Believe me everyone on the lake was so impressed, NOT.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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The Turkeys are Back

Glad to have them back in our yard.  

These are the only 2 who have cruised by the house the last couple of days, but the rest are on the way.  Getting to spend time with the wildlife and after a couple of winters the pattern is starting to emerge.  But where the bucks and turkeys went I do not have a clue but having them back is the bright spot in my day.  And with the Boss here for a bit we will be out there chasing them all.  As a side note we are getting rain and thunderstorms with a little hail basically every afternoon.  Yesterday in answer to a big thunder boomer a turkey gobbled on the mountain.  Boy it is so cool living here.

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Today we are taking care of a little banking and other chores as the serious planning for the move gets in gear.  It is start to really sink in and the end is coming.  We will be coming back at the end of the month to start the house selling job.  Not really sure what it is worth or what we need to do for prep but meeting with the real estate dude soon to start the process.  The boat will follow us home so I can fish Coleto some this fall before calling it a day in Texas.  One more back and forth trip to bring a few things and then the final move.  As the house out here is furnished, I am not moving squat.  If I had my way the house would cost another grand if they don’t take the furniture.  But all that is for anothe day, tomorrow we head to Williams Creek for some fishing and kayaking.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Alec Baldwin 

The judge in his case dismissed it with prejudice during trial which means it is over and cannot be retried.  In a blatant move by the prosecutor and police they intentionally concealed evidence plain and simple.  The prosecutor in her arrogant all-seeing all-knowing testimony said she and the police just decided it had no value.  Well lady it is not your job to withhold anything from a defendant, EVER.  In no world do you get to make that determination.  Are you so self-impressed with your judgement, or was this your first day, or are you nothing more than a piece of slime who does anything to win?  This behavior happens in court all over this country and it has to stop.  How many other cases has she substituted her biased personal opinion for the law?  You got exactly what you deserved.  She should be fired and reprimanded by the BAR at a minimum.

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SPAM

The website continues to be spammed regularly.  It is coming from China, what a shocker.  If you ever get anything from China don’t open it, don’t even breath on it.  You cannot trust any email from China any farther than you can throw a Nigerian.  So really how bad has it become?  There have been 761 blocked log-in attempts by maggots messing with the blog.  So, if occasionally comments do not go thru that is the reason why.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

Lovely day in the mountains.

I spent the day just trolling and while I only boated 1 small Kokanee it was a wonderful day.  The water temp was up to 63 degrees and that will drive them deep for the rest of the summer.  But the trout were a different story.

There are so many variations of brown trout.  The only one today.

The spoon did the damage today.

Though most of them were stockers I am still learning how to catch the bigger fish. That has not happened yet, but it will.  As many fish as they stock in the lake every year they are there, and it will happen, hopefully before I have to go back to Texas.

On the hoochie.  This guy looked like he has had it tough.

These are definitely very indicative of what jumped on today.  I varied my lures and paid attention to the depth and line length they were coming from.  15 – 18′ was the magic depth.  And they bit literally all day.

A solid on the Rapala.  All 4 above on different baits.

Around 1:00 I started thinking about quitting, and 4 hours later finally put it on the trailer.  The fishing was nothing short of amazing.  In fact after giving up on the Kokanee it was time to put away the hoochie.  You tip it was Shoepeg Fire corn for the Kokanee and the trout just love it.  To keep it fun I alternated between spoon colors and sizes and they smacked it.

It has really been a learning experience and the place it is done is stunning.  Beaver is loaded which means lots of stockers, but I am not complaining.  Working my way through tons of trout for the nicer ones is no chore.  So nice to just not work so dam hard as I used to.  It can get hectic but my shoulders sure notice the difference.  But time to do come casting and change things up a little.  I know enough now to have a clue what structure holds them all the time and it will be interesting to throw plastics in deeper water so stay tuned for that.  I have 3 more days before I pick the Boss up which means 2 days to fish and 1 to clean the house.  No more batching it but I sure will be happy to see her.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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My Favorite Hood Ornament

Though my favorite truck got smoked by a big mule deer there are no hard feelings.  Watching them grow and mature right out my window is a pleasure and an honor.  Getting to watch antlers grow, velvet and then shedding and getting bone hard for the battles to come is a reminder that the strong survive and their genes ensure a healthy herd.

Just awesome!

Hope I grow up to be as big as you.

Love me some mass.

Everybody gets along just fine until Ladies Night.

The come in all different sizes.

I have seen some real trophies, but the true monsters are not in town or along the roads.  It is a big outdoors here and we love waking early and driving high mountain roads.  Bears, lions, moose, elk, and plenty of mule deer make the effort worth it.  And next year we will be chasing the new wolves in Colorado.  Africa changed us both forever and then the trip to Yellowstone with Wolf Tracker finished us off and we have chased stuff ever since.  We will never set foot in a zoo again.

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The Boss is ready to go!

She will be here in a few days and is getting worked up, rightly so.  Today I got the yak out and cleaned it and all the stuff.  It is in great shape; she will be spending time on the lake while I am fishing.  And I just might slip out and float the river as it is really coming down. Nice see some new water and catch a few fish.  We love the great outdoors and the opportunities to enjoy it here are endless.

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Are You Kidding Me

Running engines from 2hp to a Black Max over the last 50 years, gas has always been an issue when you fish as hard as I did.  Gas to the coast every trip was plenty, how about all the way to Canda?  It was just the cost of doing business.  But now my mind is blown.  Best I can tell I have fished 12 times on 4 different lakes since I got back here, basically trolling for 5 – 8 hours without turning off the engine.  Just do the math on hours fished, say a conservative 60 hours total.  I finally had to put some gas in the 6 gallon tank (wait for it) for a grand total of $20!  Think I can swing .33 cents an hour.  But as we know it is still a Break Out Another Thousand and stuff just comes unglued.

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Heading back to the ramp there is a pickup backing down, after he had just parked.  I figured the old Merc would not start but boy was that wrong.  He jackknifed the trailer intentionally so he could hook up the winch, which just looked weird.  They hooked up and he jumped in the truck and drug the boat most of the way back on the ramp, good thing it was an old aluminum.  At that point it was clear what happened as water came draining out of the transom and lots of stuff was floating.  My response – “Good thing I never did that in 50 years, Not.”  I do not care if it is Froggies, the Everglades, Falcon, the ramp is always an adventure and good for a laugh if it is not you.

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Beautiful

This guy is enjoying the great weather as he beds down in the back yard.  Check out his main beam on the right, maybe a nontypical to come.

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Things are all good here in the Rockies.  Getting a few things done in anticipation of the Boss getting here.  When she comes I always tell her to look at it as a vacation and we will do what she wants.  The rest of the time I am hogging the whole place and I try to let her enjoy her time.  It will be hiking, boating, animal chasing and enjoying just being alive and living here.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff,

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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Have a great day and take a deep breath.

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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Beaver Lake before the crowd showed up.

I rarely fish on the weekends much less a holiday weekend but I was up at 6:00 and gone.  I figured that was early enough and it was.  Definitely a later crowd here.  And it was one of those days when you are glad you went fishing.  It was almost dead calm, water temp was 62 which is up a degree, and the air temp was 39 degrees at the lake.  (Interesting it 79 degrees when I quit, up 40.)

That was a nice one on the hoochie and dodger.

As I learn I figured they would be shallower first thing so went with a minnow bait with a 1/2 dropper and a dodger.  The other rod went with a bigger hoochie with the same set up.  By time I got settled and made the first pass to the dam, a 10 minute trip at slow idle, 8 had jumped on, but were all stockers.  From then on things improved as far as size goes and they bit until calling it a day at 2:30.

A kokanee salmon.  They are squirmy!  

Though they say there are kokanee in the lake this is only the second one I have caught but I am learning.  Have tried multiple techniques and baits but I am beginning to think it may more be a matter of location.  The fish are where you would think, points and humps but with over 70 foot of water the salmon may be in the deepest water.  The trout on the other hand can be caught best trolling the drop off along the bank.  But either way the bite was on and before it was over it was an easy 40+.  In fact the deeper hoochie bite was so good I ran shallower baits on the other rod so I did not catch to many.

Bang O Lure doing it’s thing.

I have been trolling a little bigger minnow bait hoping to entice a bigger trout.  But big or small they love the minnow bait and you could probably catch fish all day just flatlining them.  The weather stayed fantastic and the bite was so much better than last time when it was cloudy.  Still trying to figure all that out.  And the lead core line has a learning curve but I am starting to like it.  Sure makes it easy to put the bait right back where they want it.  Today it seemed around 15 -18 feet was the ticket.  One thing is very consistent on the trout, see them on the locator, make sure you bait is near them then take a 90 degree turn and that generally produces a bite.  Trolling is not just dragging a bait around, there is lots to learn.

The hoochie was the bait of choice today.

Kayaking is a big deal here.  During the day there was probably 15 – 20 off and on and it provided some comic relief.  One bit the dust early, and I mean they were struggling, but thank goodness she was close to the bank and her friend helped her get to shore and empty the yak.  It was cold and she sat on the bank awhile then a long paddle back to the ramp.  And in the touron way (look it up) she did not have a life jacket on.  Talk about asking for it.

Then when heading to the ramp another guy face planted and had a real struggle getting back in the yak.  But he had a life jacket, and it was obvious he knew what he was doing.  So other than a cool dunking no big deal.

The ramp can be interesting no matter what day it is.  First most of the ramps are not the best by a long shot.  Second these are not hardcore folks.  Watching folks loading and unloading can be interesting and unlike Froogie’s where 20 boats unload in 10 minutes here you just have to be patient.  But like I told the guy the other day who apologized for taking so long:  I got nowhere to be.  And in 2 months it will be a different story.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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Rehab

Unlike Amy Winehouse who said she did not need rehab then overdosed and kicked the bucket I admit I have a problem.  It was time to take stock, just how many freakin’ fishing rods does one guy need?  Now it was never high dollar rods with me, just never felt high priced stuff was really necessary.  But I never passed up an opportunity to pick up sale rods.  So I sat down and looked at it realistically, and the winner is 19.  Now that covers fresh/salt, trolling, casting and spinning along with a couple of push buttons for folks who are not fishermen.  Many can do cross over duty.  The fly rods are another matter.

It was time for a fishing rod reckoning, we fishermen are such suckers.  

The 19 hole total was exactly how many I have out here and the 5 (Just kidding but 5 is the limit.) or so still in Texas for bass fishing.  They will be coming back when I am done fishing there this fall.  As a part of my rehab is the rule, there are the 19 spaces, end of story.  Adding one means subtracting one.  I am sure I will suffer some apprehension when the need for another pops up, it happens with us addicts.  It may be the first time in a long time that I actually have a clue what I have.

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This guy’s rack is headed to serious monster status.  Not sure how wide this is but can’t wait to see him this fall in full rut.  And trust me this guy is a hoss.

The mule deer are really starting to move around.  There are several bucks who cross the backyard feeding every morning and this guy just showed up a couple of days ago.  This photo does not due him real justice, but he is a huge bodied guy with a rack that is headed to epic.  And since he has eye guards starting, not a sure thing with mule deer, he has a chance to add scoring to what is going to be one great rack.  It is going to be a great fall watching them grow.  Still have not seen a fawn this year but they will be showing up soon.  As I have said many times, I will never take it for granted when I look out my back door and see just what nature has to offer.

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It is really busy in South Fork right now.  The fire department had a fund raiser fish fry, and it sold out way before it was over.  It was busy as hundreds and hundreds of folks from all over showed up and the food was great.  Plus, we love our first responders.

In line at the back of the fire house headed around the front with a couple of zillion supporters. 

This is not your normal small-town department.  They are big time in search and rescue handling all kinds of mountain mishaps.  Not only do the fight town fires they go lots of places in this country fighting forest fires.  They are the real deal and it sure is nice to have them here.

The fishing on the river remains seriously good and the guides and fly shops are killing it.  When the season is as short as it is here, they have to get it while the getting is good, along with the rest of the businesses.  Glad it is so busy.

My neighbor had his daughter and son-in-law here along with lots of family.  The son-in-law is a 9-year NFL vet and is with the Eagles right now.  He is just about to get his boot off after tearing his Achillies, he tore the other side a couple of years ago.  He will be on injured reserve most likely all year as he rehabs.  While the Eagle thing is cool the neighbor showed me a picture of his tackle room.  Way more rods than me and we will be fishing together in the future.  6’5″ and 315 should fit in the little Lund just fine!

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The Boss will be here next week and it will be nice for her to get to spend a little time in the house Nancy built.  I will be getting her yak out and aired up along with an equipment check so she can hit the water first thing.  And we will definitely be doing some hiking, I love it here but it is not the same without her.  But until then it will be back on the lake Monday as I have a plan to see if I can catch some salmon.  And on the way to get the truck there were lots of grasshoppers so the fly rod will get a little work out.  Plus I will be 71y/o next week.  Must be all that clean living.  Last all you folks on the Texas coast, especially on the coastal band be careful and I will be hoping for the best when it comes ashore.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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So, you Back the Blue?

On my way to the lake the other morning I had a close encounter of the Texas kind.  I am doing exactly the limit when a jacked up big white pickup roars up behind me and tailgates the crap out of me.  The first chance he gets he flies around me, and he has Texas plates.  The real issue is not where he is from but his Back the Blue bumper sticker.  I shake my head as it dawns on me, he is a hypocrite in the worst way.

The very first step to backing the blue is not breaking the law.  It is that simple.  After being around hundreds of criminals this was their attitude, I ain’t breaking the law, it is only a little bit, or it is no big deal.  Well guess what folks, speeding is against the law, the limit is not a suggestion for you to decide in your infinite wisdom what is ok.  Before you put the bumper sticker on, wave your flags and spout off about your support for law enforcement, think about this.  Our officers deserve our support, they sure have better things to do than chase speeders who “support” them.  Be a part of the solution and not the problem.

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You Gotta Love America

I rant about a lot of things but generally it is because I care.  But in the following I could give a rat’s rear end for the dude, but I am concerned this is the level of intelligence spreading in this country.  A guy in NC decided that to show off he would place a big firework on his head and light it.  It blew his stupid head up and he died right there.  There are no words for this.  Good grief!

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FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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The River

It is Sunday morning, it has been drizzling off and on so decided to just head to the river and see if I could catch a few between the showers.  I did end up getting wet but no big deal as I managed a few.  The river is dropping fast and will be getting just right for old folks like me to start wading.  But until then there is always my “honey hole” and it did not disappoint, except for one small thing.  I did not bring the fly rods.

Love living right by the river.  5 minute drive to Brown Trout.

When I got there a major hatch was on and they were rising all over the river.  My knowledge of entomology is seriously lacking, but they were small white winged things with a long body and they were being eaten all over the river.  Normally I carry 2 fly rods and 2 spinning rods in the truck but was working on leaders this morning so did not put the fly stuff back in the truck.  It had no serious effect on the fishing as I still managed t0 catch 4 browns.

Boy do they smack that thing.

I talked to a guy and his wife who were floating and he said they had an epic day, all on the dry.  There were lots of rafts and drift boats today, mostly guided and it was interesting to watch the customers from rank rookies to seasoned pros.  One boat really surprised me as he had his customers fishing with an indicator, so it was not a dry fly, probably.  One boat was throwing a big dry that was a reddish color so it must have been one of those days we have on the water, throw it and they will eat.  And it was good to see the guides having a good year after last year’s short season.

No 2 are the same.

My history fishing the White and North Fork rivers serves me well.  (Interesting side note: When I wrote the weekly fishing column in the local newspaper, I got a call from what we now call a Karen.  She just gave me hell for not knowing it is Norfork Lake and the North Fork river.  So I let her rant and then stopped her in her tracks when I said the editors changed it and you are talking to the wrong guy.  But it was fun to hear her try to backtrack.) I do not have a countdown in the box right now, my mistake but the water level is just right for it.  While wading is still tough and to be able to throw it a mile would definitely put browns in the net, and I would have caught a few more with one.  I was throwing a floater which is better when the water is further down.  And once the ones in the “hole” get wise time for the jig.

But the bigger ones often cannot refuse the jig. 

Fishing the jig is not even close to using the Rapala.  Basically you want it bouncing along the bottom.  Often in this fast water you do not feel a bite.  As it is hopping along the bottom you just raise the rod and let it roll. It can be tough to tell between a rock and a trout but once you get the feel it is not that tough.  I tie my own and olive is the preferred color with black with a streak of chartreuse or green a close second.   But no matter the bait catching them in fast current on 4lb line is just plain fun.

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

For all your wading needs.

*************

A comment from a long time reader.

Sounds like you are getting it figured out. Still read all your posts just been real busy and haven’t commented in a while. Just turned 72, not supposed to be working this much, but hey, got to make hay while the sun is shining, right? I foresee dark clouds in the near future. Going to Costa Rica for a short Vacation in a couple weeks. I’ll let you know how we do.

I will be 71 in 10 days, so I feel your pain.  I am getting a little better at the lakes and it won’t be long before a real one jumps on.  And good luck in Costa Rica, one of my favorite fishing memories happened there.  One of only 2 days in my fishing life I said No Mas and put the road down.  300 pounds of mahi mahi in 5 minutes will do that to you.  Thanks for reading.

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Beaver Lake

I forgot the camera this morning (Tuesday) so no pictures of my day at the lake.  I have a couple of friends who do not fish and so the goal was to catch my limit so they could have some fish.  He is actually a chef so they will get the full monte when I take them to them on Thursday.

The trout in the lake and their reactions is still a big learning curve.  Today I maybe caught 20 give or take but what prompts them to bite is still a mystery.  I have noticed that when it gets dead calm you can see them rising and feeding and from now on will take the fly rod.  Once that activity starts, I actually see them cruising around on top while I am trolling.  But there are some similarities with all fish.  They seem to concentrate around underwater points and humps, or cuts with access to shallow areas with grass.  And one interesting fact, I have not had the trolling motor in the water yet.  It has been fun trolling and learning but next trip will start exploring casting by spin and fly.  I saw online folks actually throwing the swim jig for big browns and that is on the menu and I know the jerk bait works so still plenty to learn.

And the real joy, I have now fished 10x on a 6-gallon tank, which covers hours and hours of trolling.  Heading to the lake I forgot I probably needed to fill up, but turned out I fished another 7 hours on the tank. The choice to keep it to a 25 hp 4 stroke has paid off in another way, the 2 lakes close are no wake lakes so extra hp would just be a waste.  And when it can it pushes the boat just fine.  A far cry from my Champ which did 70mph+ for no good reason.  Boys and their toys.  It has been pleasant to not have that $30 gas bill I used to have every time filling up.

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We are so fortunate to have a real stud of a fire department here in our small town.  They are top of the line in mountain rescue and firefighting.  We have the usual amount of folks stuck in the woods, hurt or wrecked and they respond all over the Rockies when needed.  They also go all over the country fighting big fires and it is reassuring to have them here, they are the real deal.  As old first responders we support all the folks who are out there keeping us safe.  Today will be heading to the fire house for the big catfish fry fund raiser and get a chance to tell them thanks.

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Please have a safe and happy 4th.  Be careful with fireworks and spend the day being happy we live in the USA.  All the nonsense going on right now should never distract us from appreciating what we have.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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(You have been warned! Don’t read the following if you will get your butt hurt panties in a wad.  At this point in my life I do not have to remain silent.  You don’t like it feel free to move on.)

Random Observations That Might Piss You Off  – Some of it pissed me off too. 

Here is the best comment I heard following the debate.  And I paraphrased them to include what folks were to kind to say out load.

“Being the lying scum he is at least Trump was coherently lying.  And confused infirm Old Man Biden was incoherently telling the truth.”  God help us if this is the best we have to offer.  At this point neither one of them has any business leading the greatest country on earth.

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And what about those of us in the middle who want both the Squad and the Freedom Caucus gone? Both extremes have led us here and it is time for a big change.  Neither represent most of the folks in this country, we are not that extreme.  Until both ends are gone, we will stay divided right down the middle and nothing will get done.  (A perfect example:  Oklahoma mandating bibles in the classroom.  The pin head who ordered this will be slapped down in court with this clearly unconstitutional ignorant rule costing the state of Oklahoma untold $$$ to defend a loser.  Or the squad falling over backwards to defend Bowman who pulled a fire alarm to delay a vote and lied about it until he was caught.  What a childish stunt.  Seems both sides justify liars, a liar is a liar no matter the side.  This is both ends of the spectrum I am talking about.)  Time for corporate money to be banned from elections, term limits for every elected official in this country, and no stock trading by members of Congress, the Judiciary, and the executive branch.  We are being taken to the cleaners.  How about both sides trying a little compromise?

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Starting a war and losing does not make you a victim.  

Israel needs to finish pounding Hamas into dust.  They should not quit until every last one and their supporters are 6 feet under.  Hamas are animals (Unless you are ok with the Hamas scum who said he raped one of the hostages, then his dad did and then they murdered her.) and they deserve nothing less.  Hamas could have given the hostages back a long time ago and this would have had a different outcome and saved untold Palestinian lives.  Them dictating to Israel at this point is nonsense.  F’ them.

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As I write this I am watching a WNBA game and I just do not get it.  The place is packed as it has never been.  More money, more new fans, excitement the league has never seen.  And for some reason because Clark is responsible that is a bad thing?

Angel Reese is a narcissistic bag of crap, end of story as evidenced by her inane and hateful comments.  And the comments of the has-been Sheryl Swoopes are indicative it is about race and jealousy, nothing more.  Never seen so many angry folks over the best thing to happen to the league in a long time/ever.  And don’t give me that nonsense if Clark were black they would be saying the same thing.  Bullshit.  By the way it was a great game, I just might watch again, and did last night.

*************

And the last rant for today.

This is my daughter Carrie and grandkids Ben and Mia at the gay pride celebration at the White House last week.  I love them dearly and support their choices unconditionally.  So if you have a problem with Gay rights to bad, they are wonderful human beings.  Love you guys!

*************

To the Rudy apologist who went ballistic when I started to detail what has come to pass years ago, told you so.  He is a freakin lunatic and now his situation is even worse.  He has been indicted in another state for his proven election denial, he is being sued by a woman who he allegedly abused when she worked with him, he is totally and completely bankrupt and is in trouble with the court for not complying with the rules, and now his license to practice law has finally been suspended.  So, to the gentleman who went off the rails please cash in your 401k and send him the money, he needs it.  He is a stain on the profession and good riddance dumb ass.

************

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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Beaver Lake

The weather looked good Monday so I was up early and on the lake.  While I was hoping to catch a Kokanee I have to admit I just stayed with the trout most of the morning.  Not keeping count it was a easy 20+ but when the bite was on it was fast and furious with a couple of doubles.  And it seems like I am starting to have a clue on the better ones.  But we shall see.

A nice rainbow.  Been caught before.

A chunk.  And to the reader who asked about how you tell stockers from real ones, this is a real one as the one above is.  All about the color.

The Brown Trout color in a Rapala will always catch a few.

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

For all your wading needs.

*************

My Favorite Time of Year is on the way!

It is still a shock and pleasant surprise to walk out of the house and there is a buck staring me in the face from 20 foot away, and with fall coming it is only going to get better.

As I was headed out the door these boys were in the backyard.

There were 4 together.  Their antlers have really started to grow the last couple of weeks.

I am starting to get excited about fall coming, and with-it animals on the move.  The does have kind of disappeared in the neighborhood and the bucks have shown back up.  And they are in full velvet which is about to really get good.  There are some huge ones here and I can’t to watch them grow.  In fact, saw a real hoss sitting by the neighbor’s wood pile out of the sun.

And speaking of mule deer on my drive back from Continental the creek runs along the road for several miles.  I spotted something brown way off so stopped the truck but had to get out and go around to get the binocs out of the pack.  Turned out it was a big, and I mean a big, pregnant doe.  By time I got the camera out she hit the road.  One thing is for sure there is a fawn on the way at any minute.  And time to get the stuff out so I am ready when it happens.

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Beaver Wednesday

There is so much to learn about trout fishing in lakes.  When I went out today it was cloudy and stayed that way.  Normally they bite in periods which I have not quite figured out yet.  But with no sun and occasional cold wind they were not nearly as active as they have been the last few trips.

Best in the rainbow department today.

With that said fishing from 7:30 until 2:30 I still caught a bunch.  My primary plan was to continue to learn and figure out how to catch bigger trout.  They are sure in Beaver and it has brown trout which are just plain cool.

One of 4 browns

So I experimented all day with different colors and styles of baits.  Fishing both deep and shallow there just seemed to be no real rhyme or reason to where and how.  But that is part of learning new stuff.  But it was surprising they did not bite and better than they did.  Sounds funny to “complain” when I caught fish off and on all day.  So while there is much to learn there is a big trout in my future, maybe tomorrow.

Hard not to keep watching up the hill, you just never know what you will see.

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I have driven by this big pond plenty of times and finally stopped to see what it was about.  Basically, it is a stocked pond so folks can catch some trout.  And catching they were.

One of the many lakes stocked for folks close to the house.

I talked to a couple who have been coming here for the summer the last 5 years.  They fish all the local lakes and were wrecking them, as the pond was just stocked yesterday.  I got out a rod and caught a few while we chatted.  Of all things they head to Mtn Home in Arkansas for the fall.  Small world.  But the point, if you come to visit there is every kind of trout fishing you could ever want, pro to rank beginner.  The state wants you to catch them and folks take advantage of it.  And with the 4th of July week coming it is busy here as the visitors roll in.

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It is “hot” here by Colorado standards.  While some call it hot it is so nice to leave the windows open, in fact we do not even have any air-conditioning in our house.  It is so awesome to wake up to cool and pleasant.

As it will be busy around here the next week not sure what I will be doing but there will be some fishing no matter what.  The river is dropping and wading is coming and there are still lakes I have not got to yet.  So loving the adventure.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

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.

*************

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

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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Well I Thought I Sucked

As you all know who read this I continually say listen to the fish and they will tell you, and today they did.  Today the plan was to fly fish until figuring something out and it only took a few casts.  I am fishing small high mountain streams using a 3wt and 2lb test for tippet for the small trout you usually find there.

So pretty out of the small streams.

Starting with a tiny white dry fly I was hoping to increase the number of hook ups by downsizing.  It only took about 5 casts for it to happen again, twice.  One seemed to jump it pretty good but did not hook up.  The another rose and took a look, then turned off.  So time for a change and it turned out to be the right move.

It really made a difference once I changed up.

So tied on a bigger dry that I could see and then put a really small nymph on a dropper only 6 inches below the dry and the bite was on.  As the first creek is not exactly shallow with the occasional hole it seemed unnecessary to add any weight and it worked out great.  When they decided to eat it was a solid bite and they were on.  Only a few did not make the net, unfortunately a special one did not stay buttoned.

They were fairly aggressive which helped me out.

There was a stump on the other side of the creek and it took a few casts to get bit, but when he did what a bite.  The dry went under, I set the hook and out he came and what a fish.  That this creek held a trout that big was amazing.  He jumped several times and with the 2lb tippet no way to put super hard pressure.  Add the fact the creek is running hard right now he had the advantage.  I did the best I could but for some reason he just pulled off when he got me downstream in the heavy current.  So, while it did not happen it was flat cool, a moment to remember and will keep me going back.

This was the biggest to make the net.

After landing 6 there was another creek that needed checking so I headed that way.  It is about 15 miles from the house and is where we found an old moose shed and I caught a couple last fall.  It runs through a valley and is not deep and real rocky like the first place.  It was quite a big higher than last fall as the runoff continues and it was hauling, to add to the issue the wind was howling right down the creek.  I managed to catch the one below, he ate a dry, but it was just too big a hassle.  Give it another week for the water to go down just a little and it should be just right.

From the last creek.  He took the dry.

So the day was a smashing success.  As the creeks and rivers begin to fall the prime fly fishing is coming, and the wading will be a little easier.  Add the lakes I just wake up every morning and try to decided what is next.  This morning really got my blood running and it will be fun to keep learning.

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

For all your wading needs.

*************

RIP

I got a call from Ray which really stunned me.  Pete who built the garage with me along with other stuff was found deceased Thursday, he was only 52.  We had become friends and I will miss him.  Life is short no matter when it ends, and we should all try to live every day the best we can.  My condolences to his family and friends, he will be missed.

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South Fork is overrun with folks.  Visitors are out in full force taking advantage of the mountains and all this area have to offer.  The Rio Grande fishermen arrived in numbers and it is perfect for drifting and streamers.  It has gone from a truck or two at the ramp to busy.  But with so many options you can still get away.  The second stream I fished was maybe 9500 feet and I had it to myself.  The adventure continues and it sure is fun expanding my fishing knowledge on a completely different species in a beautiful place.  (It is not like fishing the White River for trout.)  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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I Still Suck at Fly Fishing.

Nothing has changed in that department.  Monday the weather was going to be sketchy, it is raining as I write this.  It has finally cooled off and will be down in the low 40’s tonight and the rain should be ending.  I put off heading to Lake City and Lake San Cristobal and decided to hit the creek for my first fly fishing of the trip.

My favorite type of creek to fly fish.  It is still up from the runoff, but it is definitely fishable.

I am still such a neophyte and today was a perfect example of that.  Not knowing all I need to know about flies and such I just chose a dry fly and went at it.  To make a long story short – lost 1, missed 3 and had 3 take a pass at it but not even come close.  Interesting how 3 hours just melted away.  All were brook trout.  While small they are one of the more beautiful trout and I love catching them.  But back to the issues.

Not an excuse but the photo above is in one of the few open spots along the creek.  It is rugged in a canyon, so access is based on how hard you want to work.  But it will have brookies in it until it ices over and is a close reliable place to fish a few minutes from the house.  And with the Rio Grande still running strong it is a good option until the river goes down.

Not sure but I think the fly was just a hair big but that still does not explain why I did not catch one.  The art of making a perfect drift with line control had a lot to do with it.  And I am sure the line contact between me, and the fish had something to do with missing them.  Losing the one I did hook was simply a matter of keeping a tight line.  My hook setting ability is not up to snuff either but no hurry.  I have the rest of my life to learn and nothing beats time on the water, end of story.  And speaking of water it is off to San Cristobal in the morning.

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

For all your wading needs.

*************

San Cristobal

It does not get any better than this.

San Cristobal has been on my list since I got back and so I headed up to Lake City on Tuesday morning.  It turned out to be an interesting day.  While 75 miles from South Fork it is a 2-hour drive through some really high mountains.  You end up going over the Continental Divide and then a pass, both over 11,000 feet.  Once I got there it was interesting to say the least.  (The only problem with that drive by myself pulling the boat is who knows what wildlife I did not see, other than the muley that made the better choice to not jump out in front of the truck.  But it is a beautiful drive.)

As many of the more popular lakes do there is a check station for the boat prior to launching.  The guy did the check and thought he could maybe see a small green piece of something way back in the prop that he could not say for sure what it was.  So to be on the safe side he would just blast it with hot water before I put in, then the fun began.  The sprayer would not start due to a bad battery.  I gave him my jumpers and he tried to jump it, but it would not take a charge.  Luckily the other gentleman that works there had a jump starter which worked great, it only took a minute, and I was on the water.  It is a great program and a compliment to commitment by parks and wildlife to keep the lakes free of invasive species.

There are as many variations of color as there are brown trout.

The goal was to catch a lake trout unfortunately that did not happen.  They guy at the station said he had not seen any yet this year, but remember it was not that long ago it was ice out.  I kept trolling and learning the lake, interesting not having a built-in map on the small lakes like most of us are used to.  So it was simply keep trolling and watching the locator to get the lay of the land.  The water temp was 50 degrees and off color due to the runoff.  The deepest water I saw was 79 feet but there are some deeper spots than that.

A nice rainbow.

I stayed with the deeper program hoping for a lake trout but just could not generate a bite.  There is still a pretty good run off and there was a noticeable line of “stuff” near the surface on the locator and it dawned on me, probably fishing too deep.  I just read an article that warned against doing that, so I lightened up on the gear and started catching trout.  Not my original plan but fishing is nothing more than a string of decisions and once I shallowed up the bite was on.  While not as fast as I have been having it was steady.

A little toad.  As usual all fish were a quick CPR and back in they went.  Hold them by the lure and a quick shake with the pliers and back they go without touching them.

The wind finally came up around 2:00 and as I am not nearly as “mad” at the fish as I used to be I called it a day.  As so many of the lakes around here the view is stunning.  There were lots of campers and plenty of folks out in kayaks and paddle boards.  There were only 2 boats on the lake the whole time I was there but according to the guy at the check station come July 4th it is a mad house.  While I am pretty sure I will not be back there before then it will be on the menu as soon as the summer season is over.

The learning curve on trolling continues.  It is not simply dragging something around and hoping something jumps on.  It is an art all unto itself to successfully target a specific fish and lake trout and kokanee are still the goal.  Since fish are fish no matter where you are, you just have to “listen” to the fish.  They will tell you what you need to know to catch them if you just keep an open mind.  And often that listening is not “hearing” anything, there are lessons in that.  I could easily catch them on traditional trout lures using the trolling motor but that can happen whenever, so I continue to expand my trolling knowledge.  Trust me, I am already drooling at the mouth thinking of the jerk bait right after ice out, it will be fun.

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The boys in Canada are continuing to have what can only be described as an epic trip.  And here is another monster.

Now that is a musky!!!

Clyde has been making the trip to Lake of the Woods for over 40 years now and that experience is really starting to pay big dividends.  They have caught some real big fish this trip so congrats.  Keep it up!  There are some great fishing holes in North America, but few can compare to Lake of the Woods.  Every cast could be your fish of a lifetime and if you are a fisherman and not a one trick pony it should be on your bucket list.  Multi species anglers can rip some lips on Lake of the Woods.

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It is a lovely day in the Rockies as I write this.  There needs to be a little boat cleaning today along with a few other chores to do but the water is calling me.  And definitely need to visit the fly shop and find something for the brookies so I can copy it and tie it myself.  There is another stream calling me which is much higher in the mountains, and it will be a tough decision tonight, that or back to the lake.  Life is good.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

My Thursday fishing view.

After fishing the Rio Grande I fished Beaver on Thursday and Big Meadow on Friday.  Since I was waiting on the new spare which came today I did not want to get to far from the house.  But in the last week I have learned a lot about trolling for trout but little about Kokanee.  I did catch a small fish on Beaver that I think was a young Kokanee but will have to look up the stocking history to be sure.

One of a few Brown trout I caught the last 2 trips.  They sure are pretty.

On both lakes the trout fishing has been stellar.  The fish from Beaver are bigger and Big Meadow was heavier on the stockers.  But on both still learning the lakes as there are no maps.  One thing I have learned is if there is runoff there will be schools of trout.  Whether from the main creek or a small feeder the fish will be right in front of the water entering the lake.  How many you say?  When fishing Rio Grande I caught one and after taking him off I got a bite on the other rod.  I laid the first one down and while I was fighting fish #2 another one hit the other rod which maybe had 5 foot of line out.  It has been amazing to see the locator light up with trout as the dine on whatever the runoff brings.

Big Meadow.  And this was the way I ended my week.

It has been interesting seeing how many fish I can catch and on what.  Whether a spoon, Rapala or a hoochie, depth is the key and color seem to matter some.  Though the Rapala has not really produced bigger trout it will.  There is a big brown out there somewhere who will eventually jump on.   I try to do a quick catch and release with the pliers and generally do not handle them, just shake them off over the side.

While I was fishing Big Meadow the stocking truck pulled up and dumped a bunch in.  It was just like the old days on the White River.  As soon as the fish hit the water the catching began.  It was a feeding frenzy by the folks fishing on shore and everyone had a big time.  And speaking of people I basically have no competition as far as boats go.  It’s so nice and quiet, the eagles are here, the deer are always moving around and you never know what you might see.

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Jeff caught a freakin’ real one.  Congrats!

The fish of a lifetime.  A giant 30″ walleye, they don’t get a whole lot bigger than this.

The boys are in Canada having an epic trip.  They have caught big smallmouth, muskie, pike and who knows what else.  And to top it off check out below.

Mom and the gang.

Unfortunately, I could not get the videos to transfer but you get the point.  Nothing like getting up close and personal with bears, always cool.  Keep it up boys you still got a few days left.

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

For all your wading needs.

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And this from a long-time reader on a subject near and dear to me, CWD.

I just read on the internet that texas parks and rec, killed 250 deer on a private ranch. All had cwd. At least it’s a start.

I have been complaining about TPWD apparent ineffective enforcement as it pertains to Chronic Wasting Disease for a while now.  Now after a drawn-out legal fight the department just killed 249 whitetails on a breeding ranch who were all infected.  What I do not understand is why any breeding facility where it is detected the deer are not all destroyed.  TPWD says that the incubation period is unknown but could be years.  Seems to me that not destroying them is playing with fire.  At least this place will not spread it anymore but do not tell me it can be isolated.  Thanks for dropping the comment, it will be interesting to see what the future brings for whitetails in Texas.

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And here is another reader comment, this on my broken tire carrier.

I bet there was a pay for mount box on the side of trailer also… Honor box,system

More than a honor box it is a one-way feeder directly from my wallet.  Unfortunately, it comes with the territory.  In this case it is ok as the spare was a bias ply a little smaller than the radials I put on so just a matter of time before I bought a matching one.  It is really necessary that they match for the number of miles I tow every year.  And it could have broke at 70mph which would be another story, and not a good one.  Good to hear from you.

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It was a quiet week around here as I fished 3 times and did a little upkeep on the house.  There are 3 nagging things needing fixing, unfortunately 2 are going to require some help.  But I did knock 1 off the to do list and will get at the others one way or another.  First up this week will be a lake about an hour from here that I might have fished last week but without a spare that was not going to happen.  But the spare is here, weird getting a tire in a box from UPS, and I am really looking forward to trying a new lake.  And of course will be back at Beaver trying to figure the Kokanee thing out.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines