Colorado Fly Fishing by The Flyfisher

Passing on the Love of Fishing and the Great Outdoors

It was late Friday night as I jumped online to check out the stream flows one last time before making my final decision of where to fish. In doing so, I decided to check my Facebook page again. It was here where I learned of the tragic passing of a friend who touched so many people from all walks of life – family, friends, co-workers, Olympians, Paralympians, neighbors and more.

 

My friend, Jimi Flowers, was full of life and enjoyed to take in so much. His passion was hiking and climbing the Colorado 14-teeners. I believe he scaled almost every one in the state. We shared our love of the mountains whenever we had the chance.

 

Jimi shared the story of fishing with his grandfather in Tennessee as a young child. I can’t remember how old he was, but 40 years later the U.S. Paralympic Swim Coach crafted the tale just like it was yesterday. I think he told me the exact measurements of each and every fish caught. As he did with all people, Jimi went into great detail: from getting up in the morning; walking out the door to meet his grandpa; traveling to the lake; and fishing. Jimi returned home after this trip with more than just a catch of the day story.

 

This may not have been Jimi’s best fishing day but it was etched in his memory for life. My avidity of the outdoors is full like a coffee can of worms with fishing stories and my favorite tales are with my grandfather, who also taught me how to wet a line.

 

Reflecting over the past couple of days, I realized Jimi touched me with more than just a good ‘ole fish story. Come Friday, I am taking my five-year-old nephew to start him fly fishing. At the request of Ed, Jimi’s brother, I will have the honor of taking Jimi’s nine-year-old son to the river later this summer to chase after the perfect trout. Hopefully this will begin the next generation with a passion for the outdoors just like our grandfathers did for Jimi and me.

 

I challenge you to take a kid fishing this summer. It can be your own child, a relative or the neighbor’s. These moments in their lives are more special than one may think. They may not turn into fly fishing fanatics but we have done our part in sharing our love of the outdoors.

 

Jimi may your fishing line always be tight.

 

Anthony Bartkowski

Pro Staff Guide

Hatch Outdoors Pro Staff Member

Proper Hooksets - Vitally Important in Nymph Fishing

    In teaching people to fly fish, especially nymphing, there is always one thing that comes up - poor hooksets. When people begin fly fishing they have to learn how to do about two dozen thing right before they can even hook a fish. These things include selecting the right fly, tying good knots, adding enough weight, casting properly and to the right location, the list goes on and on. All of these things take practice, especially casting. So, once you get those things down you can then focus on the hookset.
    I always remind beginners of this fact: I say "Think about how many casts you had to make before you could do it accurately...maybe 50. Then think about how many drifts you had before you got them to float drag free...maybe 25 or so. Then, how many of those 25 drifts produced "strikes" that you could practice your hookset on?...maybe 4 or 5. And how many of the hooksets were performed properly?...maybe 1 if you are lucky. The hooksetting odds are against you to begin with, but if you practice properly, you will turn the corner and begin hooking a lot more fish.

 Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Be ready. Minimize slack, and get the trigger finger of your rod hand on the line.
2. Everything is a fish i.e. Set on everything! Don't argue with your indicator. It can't tell you what has happened below the surface, only that something has happened. The moment anglers begin to doubt the indicator or think they can tell the difference between a rock and a fish, their catch rate takes a nose dive. 
3. Set the hook hard enough to lift your nymph rig out of the water if nobody is home.
4. Set he hook quickly! You never know how long the fish may have had the fly in its mouth. Trout are smart enough to spit the fly if you don't hit it quick enough because it is hard and unrealistic, so don't waste time, you can't be too fast.
5. As you get better - set slightly downstream. This allows you to turn an "empty" hookset into your next cast.
6. Stop your hookset when the rod is 90 degrees from its original position. This can be straight up or angled downstream over the water.

Tips like these will greatly increase your hooking percentage, putting more fish in your net, and allow you to spend more time with a line in the water.

Angling University Director,

Ethan Emery

Wading Boot Selection – Which Brand? Easy Choice – Simms!

Having getting situated and organized for a summer of guiding on the famous Colorado Rivers, I came to realize quickly that my old Simms L2 rubber soled boots were in need of being retired as back ups. I tried the replace the studs and put in new foot bed inserts but that was not the answer.

 

My first stop was to various fly shops to check out the Simms Streamtread and Korkers Guide Wading lines allowing me to verify sizing and look them over for weaknesses. As a guide we are tough on wading boots – we are lucky if a pair can survive one season. I wanted toughness, ankle support, gripping action, lightness and easy on/off.

 

My last course of action was to ask my peers what they thought about both lines. I was close to purchasing the Korkers boot as the replaceable sole seemed like a great option but when Angling University Director Ethan Emery encountered a problem of the sole blowing out, I decided on the reliable and sturdy Simms Streamtread line. 

 

When I was out on the river earlier this week, one of the clients said, “You look like a poster child for Simms.”

 

“That is fine with me, Simms makes high quality products and they stand by their products,” I said.

 

I went with the Simms Guide Boot for two reasons: 1. Purchase rubber soles to help eliminate the spread of invasive aquatic species; 2. Ankle support, grip, lightness and easy on/off.

 

There has been much publicity behind the Streamtread technology and I was cautious as traction is another priority. The first day in the water with this new tread I went un-studded to test how sticky and grippy they are in and out of the water. My recommendation is to get rid of your felt and invest in the Streamtread line. They are just flat out awesome!

 

I did insert studs to help with traction, but in looking back this may be for my personal mental relief only. The Simms Guide Boot becomes even stickier with studs as proven on my second day in the water.

 

On a sidebar: While I was trying boots on in an unnamed fly shop, I noticed a sign about trading in your felt boots for rubber soles to help with the spreading of invasive species. Pretty cool as the retailer was giving a discount if you did this.

 

So I was trying on the Simms line and the sales associate asked, “Do you want to buy the felt line?”

 

This left me perplexed, confused and bewildered as they are pushing the Vibram Streamtread soles as you walk through the door but willing to sell you felt. What gives?

 

I was hesitant when I left my felt boots and I will never go back. Simms got it right with the Streamtread. Also I am thankful that I do not need to replace felt on boots any longer.

 

 

Anthony Bartkowski

Pro Staff Guide

Hatch Outdoors Pro Staff Member

Battle of the guide boots; Simms vs. Korkers Continued

    Since my last post about the dueling guide boots I have discovered a few things. One such thing is that durability comes at a price. Another is that some boots, despite excellent design just can't fit all feet and strides.
     Promptly after my last post, the good folks at Korkers called me and said that a new pair of soles were on their way. While they were in route, I decided to kick around in the Simms guide boots a bit and see how they felt as they broke in a bit. The prognosis; comfy, stable, good traction (I added the hard bite studs), but heavy. It seems as thought the stability of the boot comes with the sacrifice of flexibility however. I commented to the guys I was fishing with that it felt like I was wearing ski boots or rollerblade boots or something because the guide boots were so stiff. It made it hard to feel the rocks and manage my balance...I felt far less "billy-goat" in them. As they broke in though, they have begun to soften a bit. Like I mentioned before though, the biggest issue I have with them is that they are so heavy. I am relatively young at 31, and in good shape. I hit the gym regularly, but at the end of the day, the Simms boots still feel heavy on my  feet. I don't want to feel like I just ran a mile through the mud when the day is done. Maybe it is something I could get used to, but I'd rather not.
    Since the arrival of the new Korkers soles, I have been out in them 2 or 3 days. I was instantly reminded of why I liked them so much; the are light, fit well, and with the new studded Klingon sole they have great traction. Unfortunately, the left sole is still popping out (see previous post as to why) at one anchor point, something that still makes me uneasy. I know that it isn't going to come out completely, but the fact that it fills up with sand and small rocks doesn't sit well with me. I took the sole off today and emptied out the sand, cleaned it out, put it back on and hit the river, but an hour or two later I was back where I started. In my opinion, it must be my gate. Like I said before, I roll up on the ball of my left foot when I walk. This must be creating too much flex and stressing the anchor point of the boot.
    So where do I go now? I'm not sure exactly. I like aspects of both boots and as I wear them more I am thinking that the Korkers will be my go to boot and what I wear most of the time in the summer, whereas the Simms will be my reliable backup and a better winter boot as it has a bit more room in the toe-box for that ever so necessary extra pair of socks in the chilly Colorado water. 

Ethan Emery
Angling University Director

Road Trip Tunes to the Fish’n Hole

As July 4^th weekend is upon us I am reflecting upon various moments of driving to the river. I’m sitting on my deck slurping on my last cup of coffee and gazing out to Pikes Peak through my Costa Del Mar Howler 580 lens pondering the weekend’s fishing hole and have become sidetracked with the important part of leaving the driveway for the river.

 

I like to have my music and to show my appreciation for my independence in this great country, do I tune-in the Sirius/XM radio to channel 15 for patriotic music or make a new playlist for the iPod? I am actually leaning toward an eclectic playlist.

On my way to the fishin’ hole I tend to play something with a good rhythm that can be played loud allowing me to sing, whistle, play the dashboard drums and drink strong rock-gut coffee. To me this is usually classic rock – The Who, Doors, War, Rolling Stones, Clapton, George Thorogood, Aerosmith, Beatles or some grunge band like Nirvana, Crash Test Dummies and Dave Matthews Band. These upbeat tunes seem to get me into the river quicker.

 

I find that this gets me into the right mindset to embark on a day hiking and slinging flies into the perfect run to catch rainbows, browns or cuts. I use music to get my internal energy running especially leaving before the sun crests the horizon.

 

 

Upon returning to the truck, my first action is to open the front door, insert key and turn the ignition on to blare some tunes as breakdown starts with opening a cold beer. Any day on the river the breakdown is not fast, unless you are really late for dinner with your better half. One of my favorite pastimes is the ability to chat with your fishing buddy telling tales from the day on the tailgate.

 

The ride home I tend to find myself listening to Jimmy Buffett, Grateful Dead, Paul Simon and classic country artists like Willie Nelson, Robert Earl Keen and Jerry Jeff Walker where I take my time to enjoy the scenic drive through the Colorado Rockies. I can often be found howling with the windows down and looking for wildlife.

So do you make a playlist or pop in a special CD for the trip to the river and change to something different on the way home? What do you do on your drive to the river?

 

Anthony Bartkowski

Pro Staff Guide

Hatch Outdoors Pro Staff Member

Teaching Kids To Fish

    There are many things in this life that can test your patience; traffic, downloads, the DMV, but teaching your kids to fish should not be one of them. Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying to educate kids to fish that will benefit all parties involved.

1. Keep it fun! If the kids aren't having fun then it is not worth doing. The whole point of passing along your angling knowledge is to teach appreciation of the outdoors, conservation, and sportsmanship. If the kid is bored out of his or her mind they will instead learn to resent the sport that you love.
2. Keep it simple. You can't cram years of fishing experience all into one day on the water, it is unproductive and violates rule number one. Instead, pick a couple of things that you want to teach them focus only on that. Maybe it is casting or fighting a fish...you can and should do everything else for them.
3. Keep it productive - catch some fish! This is a hard thing to arrange sometimes, but if you can, make sure that you and your kiddo(s) can be successful on the water. Nothing will create a more positive lasting impression than catching a fish or two, no matter the species - many a bluegill have been caught by first time anglers. 
4. Document the experience - take pictures! Even if all you catch is a minnow, play it up. Blow up the picture and put it on the wall. 
5. Lastly, quit while you're ahead. Don't continue to fish if the fishing is slow or slowing down. When the fishing takes a turn, or you start to see a lack of interest in your young pupil don't forget rule number one. Skip some rocks, have a stick race down the stream, chase some butterflies, or have a snack, and keep the whole thing to a few hours tops.

Follow these rules to enjoy a fun and productive fishing experience with your little ones.

Seem too complicated?...check out our kids fishing camps. We'll facilitate a fun, hands on learning experience that will create lasting memories for years to come.

Ethan Emery
Angling University Director

Guides Fishing New Water

Earlier this week a group of pro staff guides from the Flyfisher Guide Service decided it was time to fish some new water. To identify the body of water was not easy to say the least. We looked at stream flows from the Colorado Department of Wildlife to help whittle down possibilities and decided upon South Boulder Creek above Gross Reservoir in Pinecliffe, Colo.

 

 

Ethan Emery and I had never fished this section and were ready to deploy the research methods of kitchen sink fishing - ready to toss a variety of flies until our lines were tight. We were surprised with the showing of Dave Verser and Dustin Mastro, both of the Flyfisher Guide Service, who have local knowledge of this public section. This made our day easier and relied upon their knowledge in finding fishing holes.

 

 

To fish new waters for guides is much like the cliché of taking a kid to a candy store. There are some tricks to fishing new waters. We could have fished some of our favorite locations such as Cheesman Canyon, Deckers, North Fork of the South Platte, St. Vrain or the Poudre, but we needed a change of scenery.

 

Here are a few tips to help you in fishing new water.

 

1. Use the internet for reviewing stream flows and finding fishing reports.
2. Use Google Earth to help you find your way there and identify access points.
3. Bring a wide selection of flies.
4. Walk the river, find prime locations where fish should be holding and look for fish.
5. Look for bugs hatching and birds circling.
6. Make sure to have a stomach pump and use it on your first fish to help identify what the fish are eating.
7. Contact the Flyfisher Guide Service as one of our guides may have fished your area recently.

Our day was successful even if the water levels were up above prime fishing conditions. We were able to high stick nymphs through some deep slots to land some larger rainbows. Right now the fish are keying in on large stone flies on South Boulder Creek.

 

 

 

 

This scouting trip was a success and will be one area where I will be found fishing in again in the near future. The canyon of South Boulder Creek is first rate. Don’t let new water scare you away as it can be rewarding.

 

  

 

Anthony Bartkowski

Pro Staff Guide

Hatch Outdoors Pro Staff Member

 

Antero Reservoir | Colorado Stillwater at its Finest

Most of the fly anglers I meet are self proclaimed river anglers and I too much prefer moving water to stillwater. There is something necessary about the movement and rhythm created when you are hunting for fish in moving water that satisfies the restless yearnings of a soft stickers. So asking us to sit still in a boat or on the bank of a stillwater fishery can be tourer to our soul.

It is the fast action of Antero Reservoir and the size of the fish that make it a worthy stop on any anglers springtime circuit. Well know as Colorado finest and most productive stillwater fishery it has earned its reputation and continues to produce good numbers and sizes of fish for all types of anglers.

As you can see by the shape of this 19" Cutthroat, there is plenty of food for growing trout. The fish seem to take full advantage. While the numbers of fish over 20" may have declined since the latest re-opening of Antero, I assure you there are many fish poised to take over their positions. As summer approaches the fish will go deep and find refuge and plenty of grub in the weed beds that have already begun to form. Fall will be our next best chance to take advantage of the fish who are know to grow 2-3 inches a month in these rich waters. Even for a restless fly guy like me, sometimes its nice to kick back, drink a beer and hook up! mattieb

For more information about Antero read Charlie Meyer's column Splashes of Color at Antero.

Battle of the guide boots; Simms vs. Korkers

    This winter, I Blogged about my recent issues with the older Simms Guide Boots - I literally split the sole of the boot lengthwise on a hike into Cheeseman Canyon, opening the boot up to sand, rocks, etc. It was an uncomfortable day on the water to say the least. Since then I have invested into two pair of boots the newer Simms Guide Boot with the Vibram Sole and a pair of Korkers Guide Model boots that came very highly recommended from two other guides and bloggers: Matthew and Matt Nery.    
    I was initially convinced that the Simms were going to be the better pair and began wearing them immediately after getting them. They were comfy, slid on and off easily due to the new neoprene liner, and had good traction, but holy crap were they heavy. I guess being bulletproof comes at a price!
    It wasn't long until I began wearing the Korkers a lot. Mostly because they were so much lighter. To make it even better, I also got the "Kling-on"sole with spikes. They have excellent traction on the trail and in the water. They were quickly becoming my favorite boot of all time...that is until the sole kept popping out.
    I always put a lot of stress on my left shoes - it's a long story that involves a football injury, two surgeries, and a slight limp. Anyhow, I suspected that the Korker's sole would eventually begin to break down, I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
    After about 5 days on the water, I have developed a part of the sole that will not stay put. I can put it back in but to no avail, it comes right back out. It's only a small part of the sole but it bothers me that the very thing that is supposed to keep me stable and on the ground is loose. I am suddenly unimpressed.
    Tomorrow I will fish in the Simms once again. Stay tuned...

Ethan Emery
Angling University Director

Rocky Mountain National Park

Summer is here and the fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park is heating up. There are many fishing opportunities to be had in the park.

The Big Thompson and Cub Creek are good choices. Right now the flow is high but fishable so focus on the back eddies and slower water. Stoneflies, Caddis and Pale Morning Duns are currently hatching. PMD dries in 14-16, Stimulators in sizes 14-16 and Elk Hair Caddis in 16-18 should be just the ticket.

Glacier Creek: The fishing will improve as the water warms up from mid day on. Expect hatches of Pale Morning Duns, Caddis and Stoneflies. PMD dries in 16-18, Stimulators in sizes 14-16 and 16-18 Elk Hairs are a good choice for Glacier. Roaring River: The flow is high and the Greenback Cutthroats are in the middle of the spawn. Give them a break for another two weeks to be safe. I have included a picture of Greenbacks paired up in spawning colors. They are simply beautiful! If you do fish for them please make sure to not stand on any redds. High Mountain: The high mountain lakes in the park offer some excellent fishing. Hikes as short as 45 minutes will put you at beautiful locations with plenty of trout. An added bonus is you may not see another angler.

Currently Loch Vale, Dream and Ouzel are open. Look for Mills, Jewel and Black Lake to be opening up shortly. Flies for the high mountain lakes will need to ne small. Adult Midges, Stuck in the Shucks and Parachute Adams in the 20-22 size range would be a good choice.Do take the necessary precautions when entering the back country. This is not your typical park and the back country needs to be respected when traveling in it.Get out and enjoy the park and the fishing opportunities it has to offer.

Scott McCaslin