The CURRENT Volume 2, Issue 1

CURRENT The

IN THIS ISSUE : THE GORGE SPRING ON THE HORN THE BIG “W” FISH THE FOREIGN ARRIVAL BEAVER ISLAND Winter/Spring 2016 � Volume 2 � Issue 1

FINATIC © Belizefly

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CURRENT | WINTER/SPRING 2016

CURRENT The

CONTENTS From Trouts

Winter /Spring 2016 Volume 2 � Issue 1

Features

Editorial 4

22

The Gorge

Guest Cast 6

24

Spring

On(the)Line 14

28

An Interview with Rick Mikesell

Guest Cast 18

32

Conservation: The Big “W”

40

New Water: Fish the Foreign

Guide Service 58

46

Arrival

Guide Playbook 60

48

Beaver Island

Top Gear 12

Trouts U 52 On(the)Line Interview 54

Guide Roster 62

by Russ Schnitzer

by Steve Galleta

by Kyle Wilkinson

by Kirk Deeter

by Jesse Lance Robbins

by Scott Morrison

by Kyle Wilkinson

Trouts U (2) 66 Trouts Abroad 68 Mends & Bends 70

COVER: Kyle Wilkinson doing what he does best as a new day begins on the Dream Stream, South Park, CO. Photo: Ben Matthews.

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NEW WATER

by Tucker Ladd: Owner, Trouts

I

have had the privilege of being a part of the fly fishing industry for most of my adult life. From fishing guide, to shop employee, to shop owner, I have seen our sport and industry change dramatically in those years. From gear, to the environment or the economy, the only constant has seemed to be change, and this is the mantra by which we at Trouts Fly Fishing operate each day. In the end, most every fly shop sells the same goods and offers the same services. We all exist for the fly fishing consumer, but have to individually interpret what that means to those who visit our stores. So how does one fly shop step forward and stand out from the rest? Simple, by adapting to change, and constantly evolving and reinventing what you do. In the end mediocrity is not an option, nor is conforming to the norm that is the common-day fly shop. We have to do better, and be better to meet the needs of every angler. Welcome to The CURRENT Issue 2.0.

A year ago I wrote this editorial introducing the fly fishing industry to the inaugural issue of The CURRENT. It all started as a catalogue/ magazine (eloquently called by my editor as a “catazine”), but has unexpectedly taken a life of its own and morphed into the pages that follow. What you will read is a collection of written word that exemplifies who we are, and what we do everyday at Trouts Fly Fishing. I hope you enjoy what is to follow, and want to thank all of our contributing authors for their support.

But let’s not forget those that helped make this a reality. Every advertisement in this magazine is a dedicated manufacturing partner of Trouts, and we are proud to share these pages with them. These are the companies that help separate Trouts from the rest, by providing us with an unmatched product selection to curate for our customers. So as you enjoy the pages that follow, please remember our partners that made this possible.

At the end of the day, Trouts Fly Fishing wouldn’t be what we are today if it weren’t for our loyal customers both new and old. It is because of your faithful support that we have had the privilege of serving the greater Denver angling community and beyond for over 20 years. I hope that you enjoy this issue of The CURRENT, and we look forward to seeing you in the shop or on the water.

— Tucker

CURRENT The

OFFICERS, DIRECTORS & STAFF:

Tucker Ladd ...........................................Owner Rick Mikesell .................. General Manager Kyle Wilkinson ...........................Outfiting & Communications Manager Doug Gord .......... Assistant Retail Manager Erik Myhre .............E-Commerce Manager Nate Satterelli ............ Events & Education Coordinator Jon Kirk, ....................Fly Fishing Associate Andrew Medina .........Fly Fishing Associate Austin Manthey .........Fly Fishing Associate

EDITOR:

Scott Morrison Morrison Creative Company ~ Cody, WY

MAGAZINE DESIGN: Scott Morrison Morrison Creative Company ~ Cody, WY

TROUTSFLYFISHING.COM The Current Magazine is a publication of Trouts Fly Fishing.

1303 E. 6th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80218 1.877.464.0034 ©2015 Trouts Fly Fishing

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#GoodCleanLivin

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GUEST CAST

AN INTERVIEW WITH JAKO LUCAS

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by John Frazier Photos: Brfian Grossenbacher

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? Growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa with a hardcore angler for a father, fishing always played a huge part in the life of Simms Ambassador, Jako Lucas. From an early age, he knew there was no other career for him.

O

ver the years, Lucas has earned the reputation in some of the world’s most legendary fresh and salt water destinations as the go-to guide for consistently putting clients on the fish of their lifetime. It’s safe to say that presently, Jako is completely dialed, but—his career didn’t start off that way. So, the question remains—how did a 20-somethingyear-old kid with virtually no guiding experience get the nod to work in locations most of us only dream of ?

The short answer; he’s one of the fishiest guys on the planet. For the full story, read on.

IN THE BEGINNING

Between school, sports and being a teenager, Jako fished as much as he possibly could, but as the years passed, everything eventually took the back seat to fishing.

By the end of high school, Lucas ultimately knew what he wanted

to do. However, as tempting as it was to snatch up his diploma and jump head first into a career as an independent guide, Jako diligently opted to attend the University of Johannesburg. With a marketing degree in hand, he secured a job at Farlows, the renowned fly shop located in London. It was here that his career would finally start to veer into the direction he always hoped for. “I was lucky to get my first guide gig. It started with a chance encounter with a total stranger,” says Jako. “While in London, I saw a man wearing a fishing shirt. Being that I was interested in anything related to fishing, I began talking to him about what he did and learned about a whole new world I knew nothing about in terms of guiding.”

The man was Keith Rose-Innes, a guide with a long-standing reputation in the Seychelles. During their chat, Jako expressed his interest in guiding, and in short order, Keith ran through WINTER/SPRING 2016 | THE CURRENT | TR O UTS FLY FISHING

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a checklist of all the things he needed to do to make it happen. Two years later, Jako checked all the boxes and promptly gave Keith a call asking for work. Jako flew to South Africa for an interview and a week later received a call from Keith who said, “I need you to go to the Seychelles.” The only problem—at the time—Jako was completely green and had zero guide days under his belt. Not to mention, his only experience with any of the species he’d soon be guiding for was what he had read in magazines or seen in films.

TRIAL BY FIRE

The first day of any new job comes with its own set of unique stresses and challenges, but in the case of Jako, arriving in arguably the world’s best salt water fishery, he wasn’t exactly waltzing into an entry-level position. Most guides working for Keith had three to four weeks to

shadow guide, which is essentially following a veteran guide around to learn spots, tides and fish habits.

Jako’s onboarding lasted a total of three days. “Being in the Seychelles for the first time was like a dream.

Those first three days, we targeted bonefish. For some of the clients, those were the first bonefish they had ever seen in person, and likewise for me. The head guides must have recognized my determination because after three days, they asked me to take some clients out on my own. I’ll never forget that first day. Before lunch, we landed 43 bones, which was obviously amazing. From there, my confidence started to build and soon enough, I was chasing all the typical species found in the Seychelles.”

A FRESHWATER PROMOTION

On one hand, it might be easy to assume that anybody could excel in a

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short period of time guiding in a place like the Seychelles. After all, with its remote location, lack of pressure and variety of species, the Seychelles is an unbelievable fishery to say the least.

However, what about a completely different environment and clientele?

Once again, being in the right place at the right time paid off. Capitalizing on a sudden hole in a guide staff, Jako found himself enroute to Norway to guide for Atlantic salmon.

“Guiding in Norway was a little bit intimidating because I was coming from the Seychelles where it’s just absolute insanity in the middle of nowhere. Atlantic salmon fishing is more of a gentlemen’s sport—tweed coats, spey casting and definitely quality vs. quantity,” says Jako. If you’ve ever been privileged enough to fish with Jako, one thing you’ll likely agree on is his drive. It’s his drive and confidence that has allowed him to take his guiding to the next level. “Any new place is a little

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intimidating, but honestly, I’ve never accepted a job that I wasn’t sure I could figure out quickly. If there’s one thing I thrive on as a guide, it’s the challenge. Cracking the code in new water is what drives me. I’m a firm believer in confidence and one of my philosophies is, no matter what, I always do whatever I can to keep my client’s confidence level high...and that’s a huge key to success...and also makes my job easier when the client feels like they are with the right guide to get it done.”

Humble confidence is something Jako isn’t short on. For example, his first day in Norway, he was invited to his boss’s house, which as luck would have it, was right on the water. “I’ll never forget it. While barbequing and just hanging out, I was asked to grab a spey rod, walk down to the river and make a few casts. I tell you, I had a sinking feeling because that was the first time I ever picked up a two-handed rod. I went down, flailed around and I’m sure it was ugly, but somehow I managed to get some line out. On my fourth attempt of a cast, I actually hooked and landed a fish.

I guarantee you, nobody was more surprised than me.”

ENTERING THE WESTERN WORLD

As if the challenge of guiding for Atlantic salmon in Norway wasn’t enough, once again, Jako found himself with an offer he couldn’t refuse guiding in one of the most remote locales on the planet for a species that defines elusive.

While guiding Dan Vermillion of Sweetwater Travel Company and Ben Pierce in the Seychelles, Ben hooked a massive bumphead parrotfish.

After fighting it for a while, the fish surged and wrapped itself around a coral head. The tired and tangled fish drew the attention of several uncomfortably large sharks. Instead of losing the fish, and without missing a beat, Jako asked Dan to hold his gear. Against Dan’s pleads, Jako swam towards the coral head, parrotfish and the sharks. “I didn’t want to lose it or let the sharks get it. Dan kept saying ‘it’s not worth it, it’s not worth it’, but I jumped in anyways.

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I freed the line and eventually, Ben landed the fish. Dan must have seen something because he asked me to come guide for him in the Mongolia for taimen.

Of all the destinations Jako has guided, Mongolia stands out as the one that was the most nervewracking. Almost immediately upon his arrival to the camp, Jako piled into a jet sled with a couple experienced taimen guides and took off down river to scope out the beat he’d be fishing—the next day—with clients.

“In Mongolia, you are talking about a fish that is extremely elusive and I really had no idea what to expect.

We went down the beat, and then drove back, that was all the training I had. The next day, I met with my clients—and not only had I never fished for taimen before—that was the first day I ever ran a jet sled,” says Jako “I just took it slow, pool by pool and on day three, one of my clients landed a 54” fish. That was the confidence boost I was searching for, and from there, I just began chipping away at little intricacies of the fishery and learned it.”

THE TAKEAWAY

All of us can more than likely agree, there are great anglers and there are great anglers who are innately “fishy”. Jako undoubtedly falls into the latter category. Now a seasoned pro, his story should be a lesson to all of us. With a cando attitude, a desire to listen and learn and remaining confident no matter how difficult fishing and/or conditions get, you can accomplish great things on the water. With all the locations Jako has mastered, in his mind, his resume is far from complete. So, when you book your next bucket list trip to the world’s next best destination and find out Jako is your guide—rest assured, you’re in good hands, even if your first time in that location is also his.

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The all new,

by Tucker Ladd uncompromising saltwater series from Scott.

JIM BARTSCHI ON THE NEW SCOTT MERIDIAN RODS

How many prototypes did you run through before the light bulb went off and you had that “Ah ha. This is the one!” moment?

You’ve been designing fly rods for I knew early on that the concept over 20 years at this point, and have, was working when I took a seven no doubt, seen your fair share of weight prototype to the Bahamas in 2013, but it took almost two years design ideas/thoughts/attempts for and a lot more prototypes before we building a better fly rod. In your a good r k W a y, M o n t r o s e , C o l o r a d o 8 opinion, 1 4 0 1 what 70-24 9 - 3fly 1 8rod 0 | said s c‘this o t tisfthe l y rone’ o d to . cevery o m model | 9separates Tell us how the idea for the Meridian in the series and decided to release from a great fly rod?

Meridian. came to be. In my opinion, improving I’ve always said it’s in the details. upon the incredibly successful S4S There are no materials, components Whether we’re talking fly rods or fly had to have been quite a task. Did you or equipment that are absolutely reels, it seems everyone is constantly exclusive to one company, or that ever feel like you were trying to fix trying to make these new products magically make a rod great. It’s how something that wasn’t broken? lighter weight. How much do you those are applied, and the quality of It came from our continuing focus on this topic and how do you the team crafting the rods that sets exploration of Radian design exceptional rods apart from good ensure saving a few fractions of an principles. Design approaches don’t ones. always scale up or down to produce ounce isn’t sacrificing a fly rod’s similar results across all line weights strength and durability?

What was the biggest hurdle you or rod types, but we knew we had something special with Radian. We began applying those principles to saltwater and double-handed rods in August of 2013 after Radian was released at IFTD. I agree with you Tucker, there was nothing wrong with the S4S rods.

They had a great track record as a best in class saltwater series, and were getting it done on the water every day.

If we hadn’t had the breakthrough with Meridian, we’d still be offering the S4S. We don’t have a set replacement schedule for our rod series. Instead, we’re continually exploring new ideas, materials and processes to see if we can innovate. When those inquiries yield meaningful improvements to a series in our line up, we introduce a change.

encountered when designing the Meridian?

Getting all the details right. That’s always the biggest hurdle, getting a series beyond ‘good enough’ all the way to exceptional in every detail.

When designing a new fly rod, is it ever easier to get certain line weights dialed in over others?

There’s no particular line weight that’s easier to get right. When designing a series of rods, it’s very important to us that a distinct family resemblance runs through the series.

That way, anglers who discover a model that becomes a favorite can move into other line weights and be equally pleased. So really, the challenge is getting all the line weights to share performance attributes.

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I actually don’t focus on lightness as a design goal in and of itself. I think rods are lighter today because materials systems and components have allowed them to become lighter, but I’ve never viewed shaving one or two tenths of an ounce from a rod as a true performance metric.

There are lots of tricks that can shave weight like making the grip shorter and smaller in diameter, or putting fewer guides on the rod, but those don’t really benefit the angler.

Where do you see fly rod design heading in the years to come?

In the near future it will continue to be about refinement and innovative applications. Looking farther out, I think we’ll see some breakthroughs on the materials side that could spark the next revolution, similar to graphite replacing glass.

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ON(THE)LINE

by Kyle Wilkinson

FLY FISHING THE INTERNET W

e as anglers are a lucky bunch these days. I’m sure many of you reading this can remember how you used to get your fly fishing information and I bet it can be narrowed down to four options: You read it in a book. You walked into your local fly shop and asked someone. You had someone teach you. Or you did it the hard way—you figured it out yourself.

Whether you’ve never touched a fly rod in your life and can’t wait to give it a shot, or you describe the time you’ve been fly fishing in decades, there’s no doubt the internet has,

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or will, make you a better angler.

The information available at our fingertips these days is like nothing we’ve ever seen, continues to grow by the day—and whether we like it or not—we should all be thankful this is the case. Not only does the internet bring our community of anglers together to share stories and opinions, it also benefits this sport by making the learning curve for new anglers much, much quicker. And while I know many of you out there pride yourselves in the years of hard work and perseverance that were spent before catching trout on a regular

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FLY FISHING

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basis became your reality, making entry into this sport more attainable for the newby is something we should all have gratitude for. This sport needs new recruits, and let’s face it, if the internet existed when we were all starting out (myself included) there’s not a doubt in my mind how we all would have spent our nights.

More than that though, with the hectic schedules that seem to affect us all—at least everyone I’ve ever met—making the attainment of information easier only leads to more fish in the net, even for the veteran angler. Heading to the Roaring Fork or Rio Grande for the weekend? With just a few clicks of a button and taps of the keyboard every one of us is now able to know exactly what to use, where to go, what the stream flows are, and in general, are able to arrive with a much more calculated game plan to ensure we make the most of our valuable time on the water. Who doesn’t want that?

And, while watching a video on how to double haul or tie an articulated streamer, or reading an article about seasonal fishing or proper wader care is great, there is one other very important reality that the Internet has brought to our industry that might be the most important of all—keeping all of us much more knowledgeable about conservation issues. With the population of this country continuing to grow and the demand for water continuing to be more and more of a premium, this can have a very direct impact on our fisheries and our sport. Think of it this way, without the Internet how many of us would know about the plight of our State fish, the greenback cutthroat? What about the need to remove the Elwha Dam, which now complete, is seeing anadromous runs of salmon and trout up the Elwha River for the first time

in over 100 years? Or how about the plight Louis Cahill also discusses on page 54 of this issue of The Current— have you ever heard of Pebble Mine? It would be tough to find a fly fisher these days who isn’t at least vaguely familiar with this proposed open pit mine that likely would have devastated the Bristol Bay Region of Alaska. Would this mine have been built without us even knowing, were it not for the Internet? I could continue on, but I think you see the point.

While I can certainly understand, and to some degree, even sympathize, with the arguments for how the Internet has negatively impacted our sport (namely ‘hot-spotting’ locations through social media which has led to some rivers being more crowded— particularly during spawning seasons) it’s even harder to argue the fact that since the Internet became an integral part of the fly fishing world, we have all become much better, more informed and more responsible anglers.

We here at Trouts Fly Fishing embrace the power of the Internet, and that is exactly why we go to the lengths we do to make Troutsflyfishing.com your ultimate resource for becoming a better angler.

Sure, having the best gear in the industry available through our Online Store is a great place to start, but we take it much further than just that.

On our home page there are three very important tabs you should keep your eye on.

FISHING INFORMATION

Head over here for the most comprehensive and up-to-date fishing and river reports found anywhere.

No matter where you’re heading in Colorado, we’ve got information waiting for 41 different rivers that are then broken down into 58 different sections. Simply put, no other shop in

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the Rocky Mountains is as committed to bringing you this much detailed fly fishing information for the area.

EDUCATION

Every one of us here at Trouts Fly Fishing is a passionate angler. More importantly though, we are even more passionate about sharing this great sport with others and helping them accomplish their angling goals. Throughout the year we offer a myriad of educational offerings including Orvis 101, 201 and 301 classes, as well as multiple one- and two-day schools that are guaranteed to leave you walking away a better angler. Aside from these classes, we are also proud to offer monthly instore presentations throughout the year that cover a variety of topics from local fishing tactics/techniques, to showcasing guest speakers from around the country who are eager to share their fishing knowledge.

Lastly, you’ll also notice in our education section a tab that says Learning Center. Heading here will bring about a wealth of informative articles and videos all geared towards making you a more knowledgeable angler.

THE BLOG

If you’ve never visited our Blog before, making this a regular stop during your Internet browsing should be a habit. We do our best to update it daily and there’s no telling what kind of fun, humorous, informative, or educational information you might find. From river updates to guide trip reports, industry news to product reviews, destination travel discussions to seasonal fishing information, there will always be a reason to stop by the Blog!

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GUEST CAST

3

by Frank Smethurst

THE TOP TECHNIQUES O

ver the last thirty-plus years of professional guiding, fishing for difficult fish, and flyfishing competition, I have isolated the central pillars of an elevated technique for trout in rivers and streams. The benefits of these three techniques are considerable, and have helped me catch more and bigger fish wherever in the universe I have fished.

THE (HOMER RHODES) NON-SLIP MONO LOOP

A knot!? Really, how can one knot be much better than another?!

I very much felt that way too in my first decade or so of guiding. Then, in 1992, friends and Keys guides Tom Rowland and Doug Kilpatrick showed me the non-slip mono loop knot that they used all the time whilst guiding on the hyper-difficult flats of the lower keys. An interesting exception that they mentioned was that they did not use this knot when

THAT THE TROUT DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

they were fishing for tailing bonefish, because it caused the fly to sink too quickly. Hmmmm…

I began to use this knot as most others do, primarily for streamers.

Over time, I discovered how well it worked for dries such as hoppers, streamers and particularly for attaching a beadhead nymph as a dropper or in a nymph rig.

Though the dropper line is attached to the top fly with a clinch knot on the bend of the floater’s hook, the trailing fly is itself attached via the non-slip mono loop.

Heres why this knot changes everything. Whether nymphing, throwing dry dropper rigs or streamers, the non-slip mono loop allows the various flies to move freely, and also sink far more quickly.

How does the fly sink more quickly?

When particularly a nose-weighted fly such as a beadhead, a bugger or a clouser is attached via the loop knot, the fly is no longer locked immovable

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to the line, and when dropped into the water, the fly pivots to parallel with the line on the loop, and crash dives for the bottom, taking the tippet with it.

My estimate is that this knot literally doubles the sink rate for a given fly.

FREEDOM. As we learned in

Braveheart, freedom counts for a lot.

It has been my own observation that the non-slip mono loop allows flies to swivel and pivot independently on the line in a manner that signals to larger and more wisened fish that the food item is a natural. If you consider that almost a hundred percent of anglers fishing a given watershed, utilize knots that stiffen or lock the line/ fly interface, you may understand that the fish in order to avoid the flies would begin to recognize when the flies don’t pivot and rotate in the currents as would a natural. Guiding and fishing on pressured tailwaters and rivers in Colorado has shown me time and again that the fish simply

bite better if your fly is moving more naturally. I now use this knot with streamers and beadheads, but also my smaller technical nymphs on 6x and even dries down to a #22.

With the non-slip mono loop, the continuous combination of the movement and faster sink rate make each and every cast and drift more effective. Your flies spend the entire time at greater depth wiggling and moving most naturally.

There is a final attribute of this knot. The loop is about ten to fifteen percent stronger than a clinch knot.

When skillfully tied, this knot is one of only two knots (Bimini Twist being the other) that leave the breaking strength of your line unaltered. It is a 100% knot, (a clinch is 75-85%) and because it unlocks the fly from the line, you can increase the size of your tippet and use heavier line. This means that you can set the hook harder on fish, and play them to you more swiftly. It also gives you line strength in reserve when you hook a larger fish.

PRACTICE. The principal deficit of this knot is that proficiency takes practice and it also takes a few more moments to tie than does a clinch.

Is it worth it? After two decades, and wins in very difficult flyfishing competitions, I have become wholly convinced that it is.

SINGLE-HANDED SPEY CASTING

Spey casting is usually thought of as a cast where you bring a two-handed fly rod into play, make differing sweeps and long casts across stream, swinging flies across the current as you search for migratory fish.

This is only part of the Spey casting picture. The truth is that not only is Spey Casting really easy, but it also is one of the most practical styles of

casting there is.

If you have ever picked up and roll casted your line once and then again to get it right into the zone, you have utilized the Spey.

The Spey cast is basically a twopart roll cast, and it is equally well executed with either a single- or two-handed rod. You first place the line into the right spot on the water, and then just roll it forward. It’s that simple, and it has big implications when you consider the following:

STEALTH. The Spey cast, when

executed properly, lands quietly in front of the fish with no fanfare or early warning like the overhead cast.

LOW MAINTENANCE. One of

the greatest attributes of the Spey cast is that it lowers overall maintenance with your rig, ie., you almost never tangle because your flies are not reversing direction at high speed as with an overhead cast. This breaks down into the best way to ensure that more time is spent doing the right thing—and more time spent quietly delivering clean presentations in the proper zone. It’s the benefits of this simple equation that create more and larger fish. Add to this that you stop overhead casting into the bushes behind you and suddenly you quit tangling, and stop catching trees too.

Well, almost…

ACCURACY AND TRACKABILITY.

The final attribute that makes singlehanded Spey casting so effective is the power and accuracy that is available relative to a roll cast. The Spey cast is considerably more powerful, and this serves to help better move the sometimes awkward nymph rigs, dropper setups and streamers around the prospective fishing area with far more precision. The relatively slower delivery of a practiced Spey cast also

allows for steadier tracking of the rod towards the needed fly destination.

The reality is that you can throw the line almost as far as an overhead cast, exactly where you want it to go, and this with no backcast—using only the space in front of you.

UPPER LEVEL MENDING

While drifting flies, both wet and dry in a current, the goal is usually to keep the flies from being influenced by the fact that they are attached to a string and often want to swing in the current. At close range (less than two or three rod lengths) a rod that is held high, removes most of the line from the water and diminishes the line’s influence over the drifting flies.

It’s isolating the flies at close range, that creates a high quality drift. This “high sticking” and utilizing thinner lines style is at the center of both the Tenkara and closely related Czech/ European nymphing techniques.

If stealth or topography is an issue, and getting within two to three rod lengths is often not advisable or possible, being able to skillfully mend a standard fly line becomes essential.

UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM MENDING

Most mends are to remove an upstream or downstream loop that develops in the terminal portion of the line closest to the flies and can influence the freedom with which the rig drifts and the rate at which a nymph rig may sink. This upstream or downstream loop of line can become a pulley or fulcrum, and it’s this multiplying drag that skillful mending serves to remove from the presentation. When mending to the up or downstream curve in your line, you shape an elevated, upside-down U-shaped stroke in your rod travel that allows the line to leave the water

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in a subtle fashion, correct for line arrangement, and then create further freedom and drift accuracy thereafter.

Common mistakes that prevent a clean mend are not raising the rod high enough on the initial part of the mend, and also not shaping the gentle and rounded shape of this upside-down U. The smoothness of the mend, and its ability to correct for proper drift is a learned skill that is very akin to casting. It takes practice, observation, and skill to create the depth and drifts that fool the most desirable fish.

BEYOND UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM

As outlined above, when properly executed, the most common needs of mending are addressed by skillful up and downstream mending strokes.

There are numerous situations though that require the angler to add slack line to a presentation via a skillfully-stroked roll cast that delivers slack line to the end of the fly line.

This causes the flies to relax into their drift and remain in their lane, even if the lane is taking the flies ever further away from the angler. This technique is called a “stack” mend and refers to a gentle roll cast depositing slack line in a stack to the end of the fly line and allowing ultimate drifting freedom. Stack mends offer the ability to cover even the trickiest deeper, or most complex currents and show the flies naturally to fish unaccustomed to such a high-quality presentation.

TACKLE

There are some advantages that can be created that allow for better mends throughout any drift with any type of fly. The first and the simplest is to dress your fly line. I prefer to use two types of line prep for elevated mending. I use Umpqua Glide, Airflo

Whizz Lube, Loon Line Speed, or any other line dressing prior to fishing, and this keeps my line more freely flowing in and out through the rod, and floating on the surface most consistently. In the field, I reapply Loon Payette Paste or Mucilin to the very tip of the line to keep it floating and handling in the manner that creates consistently better drifts.

I also prefer Airflo Ridge lines for their ability to retain said paste in the grooves of the line and keep their buoyancy longest.

Once your line is floating higher in the water consistently throughout the day, this enhances the sublety of your mends and highlights the need for a gentler flexing tip of the fly rod. So while many feel that it’s the faster rods that are the preference for nymphing, I contend that it’s the softer-tipped tapers that deliver the best mends which will catch the pickiest fish. It’s odd to me that most anglers focus on the cast, when it’s often the mend that catches the most notable fish.

Progressively-tapering rods such as Scott, Winston, Echo and Orvis are an advantage here. Because I work for Scott, I heavily favor the Radian, A4 and G2 for not only this mending advantage, but also for the amount of information that flows through the rod to my hand. To be sure, I am biased, but my bias is always in the direction of the tools that get me the most and biggest fish. This is precisely why I began fishing this style of fly rod over two decades ago.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER AND RESOURCES

When you put all of these techniques together, here is what it looks like. You make fewer casts because your accuracy is enhanced by the spey casts inherent simplicity

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and accuracy. Here and there you overhead cast, but only when there is absolute room and when it won’t compromise your approach. Though you look for ways to get close to your prospective spots so that you can high stick, you also hang back in the quieter water and utilize subtle clean and clever mends to maintain a stealthy distance.

You work your way up the river mending through even the most difficult currents because you also can deploy slack to wherever it needs to go via the stack mend. Your freshly greased line floats like a cork and obeys each nuanced stroke from your educated hand. You very rarely tangle because your line never reverses at high speed in midair.

You spend twice as much time fishing as you used to, and your flies are sunk deeper and sooner on each and every drift. These same flies pivoting and wiggling much more like the real thing.

Spending more time doing the right things is where success happens in fishing. Blending these three techniques together also adds a lot of fun because the encounters with trees and tangles are almost eliminated…almost.

It takes time to begin to blend all of these together, but it’s worth every extra minute. A good place to see and better visualize some of these techniques is on YouTube. Just type in Stack Mend, Single-Hand Spey Cast, and Non-Slip Mono Loop and you will be able to see various representations of these techniques in action.

Regards and good fishing,

Frank Frank Smethurst, the author, has been tying commercially since age twelve, guiding anglers since the mid eighties, and has won or placed in numerous flyfishing competitions.

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Story and photos by Russ Schnitzer

THE GORGE W

hether you’re in downtown Denver or on the western slope, Colorado is truly a land of diverse fly fishing opportunities. Here, we are blessed with a number of marquee rivers, lakes and streams that provide residents and visitors alike with tremendous fly fishing options. Many also happen to be readily accessible for day trips or quick weekend getaways, providing solid choices for anglers with tight schedules. During the warmer months, an intrepid Colorado angler can target carp and bass in the morning and cast to rising cutthroat trout later that afternoon.

Yet all of us, sooner or later, yearn for something a little more adventurous. An outing that, while still in-state, requires setting aside a few days on the calendar. A trip that demands planning, effort, skill and determination. One Colorado river and its landscape epitomize these ideals, and its very name evokes the best of western fly fishing: the Gunnison River.

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The Gunnison River is a major upper basin tributary to the Colorado River, which it meets near Grand Junction. Between that point and its headwaters, the river flows through two highcommitment, high-adventure reaches. First is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a jaw-dropping chasm so gnarly and inaccessible that rafting is prohibited. Immediately downstream from the Black Canyon, the river continues through the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness and National Conservation Area. The Gorge offers a three-day/two-night float through Class III/IV rapids amid a rugged landscape. Whether you prefer dries, nymphs or streamers, outstanding fly fishing exists throughout for strong browns and rainbows. The Gunnison Gorge is perhaps one of the premier fly fishing float trips in the lower 48.

Put it on your list for next year!

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Steve Galleta

SPRING

Spring is a magical time on the Bighorn.

Not only is it the start of another angling season full of optimism and promise, but it is also an awakening for the river.

T

he reservoir is filled by snow melt, water temperatures begin to climb, trouts’ metabolism rises, birds migrate, trees bud, insect emergences become more frequent, and, most importantly, the placid surface of the river is dimpled once again by rising trout.

The spring season runs from March through May. Average daily high temperatures range from the mid to upper 40s Fahrenheit in March to the lower 70s in May and April and can feature just about anything in between. Rain and snow can be expected at any time, especially in March and April. Typically, expect the mornings to be cold in the upper 30s or low 40s, with temperatures warming up quickly in the late morning. Water temperatures will range from 36 to 50 degrees, and are most often in the low to mid 40s.

The first mayfly hatches of the year start on the lower river, below Bighorn Access down to Two Leggins Access. Water temperatures in the lower 40s are conducive to excellent hatches of midges and blue-winged olives and a high rate of activity by the trout. Because of its distance from the dam, the lower river can reach these ideal temperatures two to three weeks before the upper river.

These first hatches of mayflies won’t be as intense or as widespread as on the upper river, but they do offer great opportunity for dry-fly fishing.

When fishing the lower river at this time, I like to rig two rods—one for streamers and one for dry flies. As I float this stretch, I often fish streamers in between pods of rising trout.

While hatches often start earlier on the lower river, the upper river offers a far greater abundance of insects.

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In addition to the dependable bluewinged olives, incredible emergences of midges occur as well. Trout also feed freely on scuds and sow bugs.

Coinciding with increased insect activity is an increase in the trout’s metabolism and the trout feed actively daily, both on the surface and underneath. Because of this abundance of food, most anglers focus their time each spring on the upper thirteen miles of the river.

Holding water in spring is also easier to read on the upper river.

Once water temperatures increase and daily hatch activity occurs, trout will begin to move from their slow, deep winter lies to more active feeding stations. With water temperatures still relatively cold, you will typically find fish feeding just off of the main current. Expect fish to be more concentrated at this time.

Once you find fish in a particular spot, there will be many in that spot.

Fish that water and other water like it thoroughly. During the spring, you will find fish sitting in moderatelypaced water along current edges and seams.

Midges (#16-22) can hatch at any time of the day and the timing and duration of these hatches are weather and water temperature dependent.

You will typically find hatching midges in the late morning or early afternoon during the warmest part of the day, as well as during the late afternoons and early evening.

Some of the best surface fishing with midges occurs when the adult midges

cluster in the early afternoon and the evening.

Midge larval and pupal patterns work well through the spring, with black, cream, root beer, red, and olive being the best colors. Fish your larva and pupa imitations in slower runs until you begin to see noses and snouts popping up for the duns or head-and-tail rises to the emergers. Fish eating midges tend to pod up. The key to success on the top is locating these feeding groups of fish. Prospect the prime water with subsurface imitations until the feeding frenzy begins on top. Once fish begin feeding on top look for clustering to occur as these midges begin to mate. Trout key in on these clusters routinely. Amazingly enough, one of the best midge emergences I have ever seen was on a bright sunny day when air temperatures reached 103 degrees. The water was colder than average for the month of May and an early season heat wave moved into southeast Montana; the water warmed up a few degrees and was just enough to create a massive hatch.

Blue-winged olives (BWOs) are the main event in the spring, and the trout feed with fervor, both on the surface and below, when these size 16 to 20 mayflies are present. The BWO hatch is the first significant insect hatch after winter, and provides the trout with a large amount of food.

They respond accordingly. If you haven’t experienced a BWO hatch on the Horn, you have been missing out.

The magic water temperature that

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seems to trigger spring blue-winged olive emergences is right around 43 degrees. Once this hatch begins, trout gorge on every stage of the hatch: nymphs, emergers, duns, and spinners are all important. Nymph fishing during this hatch can be just as good, if not better, than the action on top.

The BWO hatch, during a typical day, can last anywhere from one hour to six, depending on its intensity. It typically starts around midday or early afternoon and can last until dark. It can start as early as late March and continue well into the summer, with the peak being from the end of April until the third week of May. In the low-water year of 2013, the BWO hatch continued, without interruption, well into the summer. In spring it is possible to fish a morning midge hatch, an afternoon BWO hatch, and fish both BWO and midge patterns in the early evening. On some days, dry-fly fishing is superb from the time you hit the water to the time you leave the water.

Peak angler traffic during the spring season coincides with the blue-winged olive hatch. This is often during the last two weeks of April and the first two weeks of May. Late March and early April is a great time of year to take advantage of spring fishing opportunities without the crowds.

Anglers looking to fish the peak spring window should find guides and accommodations in Fort Smith well in advance. The spring peak window, like the other peak windows of the season, fills up quickly, often a year in advance.

While most anglers fish nymphs and dry flies imitating the prominent midge and BWO emergences, streamers fished deep and slow will consistently catch fish throughout the entire river. The lower river is especially good for covering water with a streamer imitation.

Unlike freestone streams, there is no

spring runoff on the upper Bighorn.

The Bighorn experiences an “artificial” runoff that only occurs when snowfall amounts throughout the region are high, and/or significant rainfall occurs in the spring. Increased flows occur when the reservoir reaches full pool and inflows are higher than outflows as dam managers increase flows into the river to evacuate water from the lake, but the water remains clear.

On one occasion I have seen the upper three miles of the river off color. This occurred for one day after a rainstorm that dumped almost six inches of rain in 48 hours. On that day, I was one of the only guides on the river, and it still fished well, even while being off color. Average water flows in spring are typically around 2,000 to 3,000 cfs. During the worst of runoff years, when reservoir levels reach flood stage, water releases from the dam can reach 10,000 to 15,000 cfs. While these flows are simply huge, they don’t happen often and, amazingly, the river still fishes well.

When high-water years occur, increased water releases from the dam typically start in May and last until mid June or early July. During runoff, the upper 10 miles of the river remain clear and fishable, regardless of water releases from the dam. The first major tributary that can turn the water off color is Soap Creek, about 10 river miles from the dam. The effects of dirty water being carried into the river

by Soap Creek and other tributaries, such as Rotten Grass, Mountain Pocket, and Hay Coulee Creeks, make the lower river below Bighorn Fishing Access, often unfishable. With that being said, these tributaries tend to clear relatively quickly. Check with local fly shops to find out about current runoff conditions throughout the river.

Steve Galletta is the Co-Owner/Outfitter of the Bighorn Angler Fly Shop & Lodge in Fort Smith, Montana. He published his first book, Fly fishing the Bighorn River, in July 2015.

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Photo: Alex Landeen

by Kyle Wilkinson

RICK MIKESELL AN INTERVIEW Tell us a little about the man behind the beard—how did you get your start in fly-fishing and what keeps you hungry to get back on the water as often as possible?

My dad always fished & hunted when I was young. All family vacations were spent in our Mitchell Camper, exploring the high country lakes of Colorado. Most pictures of my brother and I when we were young feature a stringer of trout from our dad’s successful morning on the water. In adolescence, I pushed myself away from this a bit, as rebellious teenagers tend to do, and got wrapped up in skateboarding and punk rock (see question 4) and didn’t think too much about the outdoors.

In college, camping trips with buddies, of which the main objective was partying as hard as humanly possible, brought the outdoors back into perspective, and a few casual fishing excursions turned very quickly into the impetus for the trip. Going to school in metro Denver and having plenty of free time between classes, I

slowly began to explore the surprising bounty of local ponds and reservoirs, searching for big bass with soft plastics and swimbaits. Everywhere I fished, I saw big fish looming in the peripheral, that wanted nothing to do with my lures; carp. This conveniently coincided with Barry Reynolds, and Brad Befus’ Book, Carp on the Fly starting to get a bit of buzz on the internet fishing world (although it had been published almost four years earlier). I pillaged my dad’s rod collection, settling on a late 70’s Wright and McGill Glass 6/7wt and a deep burgundy Shakespeare Finalist, and began to explore the urban South Platte. It was probably three months before I actually caught one, but after that eat, the bait caster found itself idle in the bottom of the truck more and more, and I was determined to make sure that I put my crudely-tied flies in front of as many South Platte carp as I could.

Since then, the sport has taken me to some pretty amazing places. I have met some great friends, and fished with some of the best anglers on the planet, and am lucky enough to be able to support my family while being fully immersed in the sport I love.

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Put the fly a bit further past him, sped up the retrieve a bit, and proceeded to watch it explode on my fly, a rod’s-length from my feet. think an eat has ever given me the knee shakes so badly. One fish can often be the dividing line between a good and bad day, in this case, it saved a whole summer.

What is your most memorable fish?

I think that may be my first and only tiger muskie to hand. In the spring of 2010, a good buddy and I decided that we were going to catch a tiger on the fly. We devoted every day (and quite a few nights) to chasing them. 16+ full days of follow after follow, and a few nosed flies, we still were empty-handed and hung up the towel in hopes of catching a few fish before summer was over. In early November of that year, we decided to give it another go… Walking up to the first cove, I found a good sized fish sitting within six or so feet of the bank, put the fly in front of him, and … nothing, the fish didn’t even blink. I put the fly a bit further past him, sped up the retrieve a bit, and proceeded to watch it explode on my fly a rod’s-length from my feet. I don’t

Anyone who knows you likely knows that sitting right below your wife and daughter in the list of ‘favorite things’ is carp. What is it about this fish that has such a hold on you?

I very distinctly remember overhearing a conversation between my dad and a close friend when I was young centered around his love of golf. When asked why he was so enamored with the game, my dad poignantly responded, “Because I will never be good at it…” I struggled to understand it at the time, but entered into fly fishing for carp, and it has almost become a mantra. Every outing provides a new puzzle to solve, and it becomes an obsession to stay on the plus-side of the curve. Carp, thanks to plenty of time spent on this planet focusing on their primary occupation; eating, are really darn good at it. They are better equipped in the sensory department than any other fish that swims in fresh water, they have

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centuries of experience as to what food looks like, smells like, and sounds like, and trying to convince them that chicken feathers tied to a hook is worth putting in their mouth can be mind-numbingly frustrating. It is an entirely visual game, every shot is theatre, and I get to be front row as it unfolds. I still get skunked a lot, and I am grateful for every one, because not only did I learn what NOT to do next time, but it makes the next eat, the next fish to hand, all the better.

Increased pressure, fluctuating water conditions and new food sources are constantly influencing the way these fish hold, eat, and fight, and I am constantly forced to up my game, and I know I will never be good at it.

There have been some recent rumors circulating lately that you were once pretty competitive in the downhill skateboard racing scene. Elaborate on this period of your life for us.

Through high school and early college, I was obsessed with skateboarding, and all my free time was spent searching for vacant parking garages, and dry drainage ditches to treat like concrete ski slopes. At this time, Colorado had

a pretty vibrant downhill scene, and a lot of guys who grew up on a skateboard in the late 70’s and early 80’s, were now getting back into it with their kids. We raced on Saturdays, all over the Front Range, anywhere we could find a steep grade, and minimal cars. It was a ton of fun, but it beat up on you pretty bad.

I had what seemed to be permanent road rash on my knees and hips from my many flirtations with the pavement. Really the only thing that took me away from it was the growing obsession with fishing, and my joints thank me every day for that.

What was your board of choice?

Downhill skateboarding is a lot like fishing, you don’t just have one deck; it was a quiver game, and every format—slalom, giant slalom, banked slalom, downhill, pool—all required at least two–three set ups and a box of parts to make sure you were dialed for race day. I’ve sold off at least 75% of what I once had, and still have eight setups, and a ton of decks, trucks, wheels, etc., in my garage, although the only action they see now is liquor store runs.

Any tunes you relied on to maximize your pre-race stoke?

I was way into 80’s hardcore back then, could have been; Black Flag, Adolescents, Minutemen, Crime, JFA, DRI, Fang, etc., etc.

Top speed you were ever clocked at? I would guess in the low 60’s?

My strategy was always a lot more centered on not crashing, or getting caught up in other’s crashes, then going the fastest. Sometimes it worked, most of the time it didn’t.

Worst crash story?

I had a scab the size of a dinner plate on my hip for about a month after I met a patch of road sand in

Deer Creek Canyon. At the top, I decided it was going to be a mellow run, and I didn’t need leathers today…

Describe your perfect day on the water.

Variety is the spice of life. The perfect day is spent doing something I haven’t done before. Fly fishing is never stagnant, there is always something new to do with a fly rod in hand, new species, new technique, new water to explore. One could never be close to tapping all of these opportunities in a lifetime, and sometimes that keeps me up at night.

If only there were more hours in the day.

in any frequency, because it gets quite out of hand quick. Last three on my Spotify: Comet on Fire-Avatar, Django Reinhardt–Djangology, Run The Jewels–Run The Jewels 2.

Favorite post-fishing beverage?

At home cocktail: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey & Vernors ginger soda. Favorite bottle on the bar right now: Lagavulin 16 year.

Tell us a fish story. Got any memorable ones about ‘the one that got away’?

I caught a dildo once in Wash Park.

What is something people might be surprised to know about you?

I have collected tiki mugs, and associated barware since I was a kid, and have a pretty bitchin’ midcentury tiki bar.

What are you doing when you’re not at the shop or fishing?

Spending time with my wife and ten-month-old daughter. Parenting has proven a really awesome adventure, and I am grateful for every moment I get to spend with my family. We all love baseball, and are lucky enough to spend four or five nights a month in the summer at Coors Field, watching our beloved Rockies, who, despite their best intentions, struggle pretty bad.

So you’re headed to the river with a day of fishing ahead of you—what music is being cranked in your car? Do different fish call for different tunes?

It really could be just about anything, I am as manic about music as I am fishing. I am always looking for something new to listen too. I am not allowed to go into record stores

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by Kirk Deeter

Say you are a skier or a snowboarder, and you had the chance to actually control the amount of powder that falls from the sky onto your favorite slopes… would you do it? (I’m not talking about snow guns; I’m talking about the natural stuff.) Of course you would. So do you feel the same way about fly fishing?

CONSERVATION

“THE BIG W” B

ecause while it is pure fantasy to think that anyone can really influence how much natural snow falls on our mountains (believe me, they would if they could), the interesting thing is that anglers actually CAN have a huge impact on the quality and quantity of cold, clean water that flows in many of the rivers we fish. We can make our own powder, so to speak, and the good news is

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that’s happening more and more, to great effect.

Granted, what naturally falls from the sky (or doesn’t) in any given year also has a substantial influence on fly fishing. I have covered the business side of fly fishing for many years now, both as an editor for Field & Stream magazine, and the editor of Angling Trade. As such, I often get asked what factors are most associated

Photos: Scott Morrison

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with the ebbs and flows of fly fishing commerce… you know, some years are booms, and others are slower.

Some years we see participation spike, and in others, that sags a bit. What causes that? Is it marketing, or new products? Movies and books?

I answer by referring back to an old comedy film, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, where a group of zany characters (which kinda describes anglers as a demographic) embarks on a wild chase to find buried treasure. The hint is that the treasure is under the “Big W,” and at the end, they realize that “The Big W” is a stand of California palm trees shaped like the letter, which is as plain as day, right in front of them.

In fly fishing, the Big W was, is, and always will be… water. The stuff that’s always right in front of us.

When and where we have good water, the angling opportunities follow.

When we don’t have quality water, the fishing, and everything associated with it, suffers. A great shop like Trouts Fly Fishing will always remain vibrant, because the people there are tuned into the options, and there are probably as many or more options in Colorado as there are anywhere else in the country. But it’s always best when the Big W factor is working in our favor.

A few years ago, I was asked to be the editor of TROUT magazine, the national publication of Trout Unlimited. I basically couldn’t say no… not out of guilt, rather, the conservation front is where a lot of the interesting stories are unfolding these days. Believe it or not, I actually feel really good about both the present and future of fly fishing, and a lot of that has to do with conservation.

The one thing I like most about fly fishing is that the rivers, lakes and oceans (and the fish that live in them)

play no favorites whatsoever. The CEO of the Fortune 500 company and the high school sophomore who just got her driver’s license are on completely equal footing when they’re holding a cork handle in their hands.

At least from the fish’s perspective.

And both types appreciate that equally—the teenager who has a chance to play hero in any given situation, as well as the high-pressure corporate type who gets to become a little more anonymous, a little younger, when they hit the river.

Conservation, in the context of fly fishing is also a bridge. You might not agree on foreign policy or the tax code with your fishing friend, but when it comes to something that threatens to hurt trout in your favorite river, you are joined at the hip.

And it’s “hip” to care about rivers.

One of the other reasons I am optimistic about the future of fly fishing is that the conservation ethic (and actions) among the younger generations is very strong. Strongest I’ve ever seen.

There are a lot of challenges facing fly fishing waters, particularly in Colorado and throughout the West.

For example, we have mines to clean up (look at what happened recently on the Animas in southwestern Colorado… fortunately, the fish have shown great resilience to date and a good spring runoff might send that problem away). We have invasive species like New Zealand mud snails and didymo to worry about. (Wash your boots and waders). We have fires that create sediments that wash into rivers and ruin trout habitat. We have development pressure that leads to water being siphoned from rivers.

We have energy needs that intersect with places where wild and native trout live.

But in all those cases, and in all those situations, anglers are already

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unified, and engaged in the effort to find solutions. Those are all riddles that can and should be solved.

Especially here in Colorado, in a place where fly fishing is more than a diversion or recreation… it’s also lifeblood to the regional economy.

I think it also is worth pointing out that, while there are still plenty of “I remember when” situations, in many cases and in many places, the fishing is actually getting better now than it was 10, 20, even 30 years ago. And it’s probably going to get better.

So thank you. Thanks for being an angler in the first place, and thanks for doing whatever you can in whatever conservation and/or fish habitat efforts you contribute. They are making a difference.

While fly fishing is essentially a game of solving riddles, the one question that seems to puzzle many— what is the key to the future of fly fishing?—is the one with the most obvious answer. It’s that “Big W” that stares right back at you, every time you get your boots wet.

Kirk Deeter is the editor-in-chief of TROUT magazine, and Angling Trade, and an editor-at-large for Field & Stream. His work on fishing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Times, WIRED, Garden & Gun and 5,280. He co-authored The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing with the late Denver Post outdoors columnist Charlie Meyers. His family lives near Pine Junction, Colorado.

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by Jesse Lance Robbins

NEW WATER

FISH THE FOREIGN 36 T RO U T S FLY FI S H I N G | THE CURRENT | WINTER/SPRING 2016

A driver’s license opened up many doors for me, not the least of which was the freedom to take myself fishing. What a concept!

I

was also able to transport myself to a job, so I started working in the local fly shop. It was there that I made my first fishing friends who were also my age. Driving to and from school and the shop, we started paying more attention to the waters we passed. It was only so long before we started investigating.

At the time, ‘new water’ consisted of anything beyond cold trout streams and ponds; everything else was foreign

and uncharted. A buddy from the shop gave me my first introduction, a pond where the water was more warm than cold and where smallmouth bass lived. I strapped a canoe to my car and we cruised the shoreline casting poppers around downed trees and next to lily pads. The smallies in that pond were plentiful, and agreeable to our presentations. It wasn’t long before we stashed the canoe in the trees on the shore. So came the realization that fly

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Grass moved back and forth like the wind was blowing, but it was dead calm.

fishing could be done in many more places, and ways, than I’d previously known. Come to find out, there’s new water everywhere you go!

New water can be any place you’ve never fished before, but I think the ‘new-ness’ is maximized when a foreign species also enters the equation. A new target quarry will often demand new techniques, 38 T RO U T S FLY FI S H I N G | THE CURRENT | WINTER/SPRING 2016

so for the curious angler, there is much to learn. While at first these varied fisheries may seem completely unique, polar and unrelated, as we explore more and more new water, similarities arise. For me, recognizing these similarities is usually surprising at the time, but always a welcome and amusing addition to the outing. I’ve found such similarities between the most unassuming fisheries.

When I moved to Colorado, I spent my work-days in one of several trout streams and my days off in various other trout rivers across the southern part of the state. Growing up in the northeast, everywhere we went was new water to me, but we did have a decent idea how to catch trout in all these waters we visited. One day, our head guide suggested we spend our next day off at a nearby reservoir.

He said carp could be sight-fished in the shallows there. This piqued our interest. Here was a species none of us had ever fished for, in a place we had never been to. In hindsight, I’m not sure I could’ve imagined a more bizarre fishery, compared to the trout streams we’d spent the summer in.

After crossing 50 miles of desert, we found a massive reservoir, a couple miles across, yet barely waist-deep.

To the east of the lake was a 14-er and abutting the scene to the north were the dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park. Living in this lake were supposedly large carp.

On paper, the plan was simple: wade around the edges of the lake until we saw carp, cast at them with weighted nymphs, then strip-set when they ate. The three of us set off in different directions and began. It took a little while to learn what to look for, but eventually we started spotting fish.

A few blown shots later and we had all caught one. We certainly didn’t catch all the fish we casted at that day, but we had some success, so we

returned to the ranch that evening feeling satisfied. It would be almost two years later before I’d get to fish similarly.

It was early fall and I was in Charleston, South Carolina for a wedding. I had lined up a morning of redfishing with a buddy and as we ran, I tried to envision what the fishing would be like. I wasn’t a complete rookie to the saltwater flats game, but I hadn’t done any fishing around there. As the guest, I was first up on the bow. We poled our way down the river delta, looking for anything fishy.

The call came from behind me.

“Ten o’clock.” I looked and there, where the spartina met the river was an unmistakable shaking. Grass moved back and forth like the wind was blowing, but it was dead calm.

As we poled closer, I watched as the shaking moved down the bank and then suddenly a single, golden triangle of redfish tail poked through the water. The tail waved at us. I was suddenly taken back to that reservoir in southern Colorado. It took a moment to connect the dots, but when the image became clear, I realized that I had seen the same waving tail that day when carp fishing. I couldn’t help but smile. I don’t remember if I caught either of those fish, but I’ll never forget their tails and they’ll forever be connected.

I’ll also never forget the first time I saw a really big school of tarpon approaching over white sands on the Atlantic side of the Keys standing on the bow of a flats skiff. By ‘really big school,’ I mean one that looks like the shadow of a cloud at first; a massive gray shape moving ever so slightly over the bottom toward you. When you can start to make out individual fish, you realize you should already be false casting, and the fish are both closer and moving faster than you

originally thought. The schools that seem to never end can be a blessing and a curse: your mind tells you that you’ll have a bunch of shots, but if the first two or three go untouched, panic can set in and then the string is all but gone.

I found myself in a similar situation last summer while fishing in coastal Washington. The summertime scene on these streams offers the angler a plethora of opportunities over the course of a day: the longer, deeper runs will hold summer run steelhead, riffles and small pools have coastal cutthroat trout and moving quickly through the whole system are pods of salmon. Each requires an entirely different approach.

We were floating slowly from one run to the next, casting weighted bucktails in hopes of picking off a holding coho when we suddenly realized a large dark mass downstream had moved out of the shadows and was heading toward us rapidly. My mind struggled to define

exactly what I was seeing. I squinted through my sunglasses, trying to get a grasp on what was happening beneath the broken water. Suddenly the shape moved into shallow water and into the sunlight. I realized I was looking at a big school of migrating silvers, speeding upstream.

I frantically started false casting and as I did, I made out the distinct shapes of individual fish. My mind instantly recognized the shapes as tarpon, sliding along white sand, and from the depths of my mind came the realization that I should present my fly the same way I would to those migrating poon. My cast was about as good as my first-ever tarpon shot.

The fly splashed into the water six inches in front of the lead fish and the whole school dogged to the right. My next cast landed in the middle of the pod and the water erupted, salmon scattering. We watched as they raced by the raft. What transpired was pretty far from what I intended, but I’d like to think that had I executed

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Photo: Scott Morrison

the perfect tarpon presentation to those coho, I would’ve fed one.

Tarpon aren’t the only species you can be schooled by in southern Florida. I’ve been making annual trips to the Everglades for several years now, and if conditions don’t allow for chasing tarpon, we turn to the snook lurking beneath the mangroves. This style of fishing is a sure way to figure out you’re not as good a caster as you thought. Though a lot of the fishing is blind, each cast has a precise target, typically as far under overhanging mangroves as you can envision a fly landing. In theory, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Because the snook don’t come easily, there’s plenty of time to practice your sidearm, tight-looped, rising pitches. It’s a casting workout, for sure.

One fall, I found myself in Japan on business. We had a weekend off in the middle of our trip and through the generosity of some colleagues, we were slated to fish the night bite

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for Japanese seabass in Yokohama Harbor, south of Tokyo. I typically struggle with night fishing anyway, so combined with a literal foreign fishery, I was way out of my element.

Motoring out of the marina, Tokyo’s glow silhouetted massive cargo ships, the cranes that loaded and unloaded them and tall stacks of shipping containers. Our captain cut the engine as we neared one ship that looked identical to a hundred others we flew by. He pulled out a fly box full of Clouser-esque flies of various color combinations and passed them out. Through broken English, he filled us in on the game: he’d idle us along, casting distance away to the ship, we’d drop our flies as close as we could, then fish them back. Whether or not the mission required further technique I wasn’t sure—he may not have been able to translate it—but I certainly grasped the concept he did tell us. He started the engine up, moved us into position and we began.

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It can be a daunting feeling, stepping into unknown waters for the first time.

Thankfully, massive lights on the loading dock had the area illuminated.

Were we to rely solely on the light that the big city far behind us gave off, it would’ve been a lot more difficult. It was easy to tell where our casts landed and when we put our fly within inches of the boat, our captain would let out an excited “Yes!” We were into them quickly and I looked over my first Japanese seabass. It was bright, with

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a silver body and gold-tinted back. Its head and mouth were definitely bassy, but its body was longer and more slender. A faint lateral line went down its side, to its dark tail. We got to hook a number more that night while fishing alongside cargo ships. “Jumping!” our captain would say when one took to the air.

At some point, after fishing our way around the harbor-side of one ship,

we turned the boat toward the dock and slowly worked our way between the ship and the loading dock. The ship was so massive, there was a section of water between it and the dock. It was a tight spot though, no more than 20 feet wide but almost 100 feet long. Here, we idled the engine and the captain reached for what I made out to be a long PVC pipe with a foot not unlike a flats push pole. He pointed and I started casting.

Using the pole for leverage against the dock, he inched us along and we made our way deeper and deeper into the crevice. Huge dock lines arched over our heads and the casting got trickier.

I began sidearm casting, my backcasts above the starboard side of the boat but under the lines, and my forward casts landing in the shrinking triangle of water between the ship’s hull and

the concrete wall of the dock. It was here that I made the connection to something I’d done before.

As I stood on the bow of that boat in Yokohama Harbor, I thought of the Everglades. On those trips, we’ll sometimes push our way through small creeks that lead to rarelyfished bays. Some of these creeks are scarcely wider than the skiff itself. As you might guess, the creeks hold fish too, so when there’s just barely enough room, we’ll fish our way along. Back casts have to be threaded over or under mangroves, and the targets are often no bigger than a trash can lid. It was the exact same game. So there I was, night fishing for seabass in Japan, asking my body and brain to put to use the techniques I’d used 7,000 miles away, sight fishing for snook.

It can be a daunting feeling, stepping into unknown waters for the first time. Unanswered questions abound: Where do I fish? What fly do I tie on? How do I fish it? Are there even fish here? Where is the nearest bar? With so much uncertainty, it’s sometimes difficult to begin. But as soon as you do, answers start to take shape and past experiences and successes help guide you. It’s often not easy, but the more new water one can wade into, the better served they will be at the next piece.

Jesse Lance Robbins was born, raised and educated in Maine. While guiding out of Creede, Colorado, his paychecks were spent primarily on Estebans and Kokanees at Kip’s Grill.

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by Scott Morrison

ARRIVAL

O

ne of the earliest recollections of my Montana childhood is being tucked inside the ample frontside of my father’s canvas waders.

I must have been very young—he was wearing the waders. I remember it as a rainy spring morning when he and my two older brothers worked the banks of the Yellowstone. I felt the warmth of his chest radiating against my back and all was right in the world, regardless of the water falling from above or coursing at his waist below as I peered over the lip of the waders. He was intoxicated by the pursuit of fish. As am I. We shared a deep connection while fishing— and it was a place of healing for the connections we couldn’t make.

He taught me to tie flies at the age of six. I perched on his lap and he would wrap his arms around me and guide my hands as I got the feel for the thread and rummaged through the black leather-covered box of material wonders ready to be transformed from something we shot into something we caught. I suppose the first was a Wooley Worm. Most likely it had a red quill tail because I remember my brother later remarked that all my flies had the same red tail, and I should mix it up a bit. After all, how many real bugs had red tails?

I later worked as a guide and didn’t consider it obsessive to fish on my

days off. And, even now, my career continues to focus on fishing, albeit from an office, and still, I eagerly anticipate my next day on the water.

My father is gone now and my own son is eighteen. My dad simply took me fishing because it was what he loved, but I venture to think it really would have only taken a few trips for me to be firmly hooked from the beginning. Not so with my son.

A general ambivalence along with other pursuits like skiing and climbing have competed with angling for him.

Oh, we fished together, but the fire I anticipated in him wasn’t there and I resigned myself to the consolation that a love of fishing was mine to give, and his to find on his own, or not.

I’ve pursued a lifetime of connecting with him in so many ways and fishing didn’t have to be a given.

I first saw the flickering of change on a trip to Belize a few years ago.

He grabbed the rod one day and announced he’d be fishing the beach for the well-educated bones that tail invitingly from the hammock. By himself. It was the same the second day. On the third outing he asked me along. We walked the shoreline and he pointed out tails and was the first to enter the water. I would follow and cast to pretend targets, watching secretly as his half-hearted casts of earlier forays had transformed into someting anew.

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Photos: Scott Morrison

Persistance drove them now. He stalked fish and prowled for more. He was precise and focused. Something had changed.

Last spring I proposed a few choices for a graduation trip. Just him and I. One of them was the Keys, for tarpon, maybe shark and whatever. He was in.

He stood on the bow in rain, wind and terrible conditions that were just our stroke of bad luck the first two days—and I endulged him. I was impressed. He didn’t give up. On the third and final day, we hooked up with Captain Dave Yoder who put us on the fish in Everglades National Park.

The wind blew, the water was churned and it was tough to see, and yet a fish presented itself and my son made the cast. The fish intentionally followed and ate at the boat. My son made a perfect strip set. He played it through the initial scream of chaotic line discharge, the gillrattling jumps and deep, throbbing runs—and inevitably—the slow, gritting tug-of-war that ensues when a 120-pound teenager connects with a 150-pound poon. I was blessed with one photo of the fish and John together amidst the free-for-all that ended after the fish was leadered and the line parted...and my son had arrived at a new place we will now share together.

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by Kyle Wilkinson

BEAVER ISLAND 14

months had passed since I’d last seen my backing.

On location, Ambergris Caye, Belize with a five pound bonefish heading towards the deep. ‘Watch dat lone mangrove! Keep da presha’ on heem!” says my guide, Gasper, ‘gently’ encouraging my attempts at bringing this silver ghost within arm’s reach. The smell of salt and

sunscreen is a constant companion in that memory.

Today’s scene was drastically different however, even though I was still on the bow of a boat being poled across a sandy flat. Not a trace of salt could be detected in the air and the cold Belikin had been replaced by Oberon. The banana-leaf-wrapped snook of last night’s dinner, replaced

To put it simply, it was good.

Damn good. Really damn good.

But not easy.

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by fried yellow perch and french fries.

And no passport was required. Yet here I was, watching 27 pounds of pissed off gold scales share the same goal as that bonefish: get the hell away from me as quickly as possible

and head for the deep. Sometimes you’ve gotta do things a little different.

But I’m getting ahead of myself already.

On January 13th, 2015 my day started as it usually does; snoozing the alarm a couple times, taking a shower, drinking a few cups of coffee and heading to the shop… for more coffee.

However, as I pulled out of the garage and sat waiting to make sure the door went all the way back down I decided to hit the MAIL icon on my iPhone.

To my surprise an email popped up from Cameron Mortenson (aka The Fiberglass Manifesto) titled “Beaver Island 2015”. I’d first heard of Beaver Island 4 or 5 years ago and always

had it on my list as a destination I needed to visit. The massive carp and smallmouth gripped and grinned amongst a backdrop that makes you think South Andros instantly had me hooked. While my instagram/facebook/blog primarily show myself/clients holding trout (hopefully large), I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for carp on the fly since landing my first one with the long rod nearly 15 years ago— intentionally I might add. So as I sat there in my alley (garage door long closed) reading an email inviting me to join in on Cameron’s 2015 trip to the Carpy Grail, I knew I had to make it happen… now comes the fun part of waiting six-and-a-half

months for the trip to begin.

For those unfamiliar—which likely is the majority of you—Beaver Island is, as the name implies, an island.

It sits in the middle of Northern Lake Michigan approximately 32 miles west of the city of Charlevoix, which is approximately 50 miles North of Traverse City. It is the largest island in Lake Michigan and is home to approximately 600ish full time residents. Dubbed America’s “Emerald Isle”, the history of this place dates back to the 1800’s and includes a polygamist Mormon king.

Shortly thereafter the murder of said king, the Irish moved in and this cultural presence can still be felt throughout the 13-mile-long island. It

Photo: Cameron Mortenson

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Photo: Cameron Mortenson

is an island rich in history, and even richer in scenery. On a sunny day, the waters surrounding Beaver Island will proudly display every color of blue and green you could possibly imagine, and even some you couldn’t. With water clarity providing visibility up to 60 feet deep, this place can’t be fully comprehended through pictures and words. It has to be experienced.

The week leading up to the trip was a crazy one as I attempted to build out the Blog, make sure all our guided trips were in order and control some heightened levels of excitement around my co-workers. If you know anything about our shop staff, they love to fish for carp and I know any one of them would have jumped on the opportunity to fill my spot on this trip. The lineup for the week included Cameron Mortenson, Shawn Combs of Orvis, Freelance writer/photographer Mike Sepelak, John Arnold of Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig, MT, and Mike Ward of Adipose Boatworks. It was a fishy

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crew to say the least.

The game plan for the trip started with an arrival in Traverse City on Friday the 26th of June, hopping in a car for the 50 mile drive north to Charlevoix—and as you can probably guess—hopping on a plane (conveniently painted the colors of the Irish Flag, not joking) for a quick, 20-minute flight over to Beaver Island. We were staying at the Fisherman’s House, the spot to stay for such endeavors, and fishing with Indigo Guide Service.

Waking up on day one, it was a relief to see the sun shining just as Weather Underground had predicted.

Game on. I can’t think of a better way to describe the next six days other than with the phrase “complete blur”. Breakfast and coffee each morning at Dalwhinnie’s Bakery and Deli (I highly recommend the “Irish Skillet”) followed by hitting the water, followed by dinner at a local spot in town, followed by a few beers on the front porch, followed by bed, followed

by repeat all I just listed. Eat. Sleep.

Fish. There’s no faster way to have six days go by than by following this schedule, I can assure you. We’d head out each day, two anglers to a boat, venturing in all directions to explore the multitude of smaller islands that lie in wait a short, 10- to 20-minute boat ride away.

So now to the good part: the fishing.

To put it simply, it was good. Damn good. Really damn good. But not easy. I’ve talked to quite a few people since my return back to reality, and based off the pictures, I think they still struggle to believe that. I don’t believe there’s any such thing as ‘easy’ carp fishing, and it definitely doesn’t exist here. 8-10wt rods are the norm and you’d better be good at accurately casting 70’ with a cross wind to a cruising fish. All while anticipating the sink rate of your fly to make sure it intercepts your target’s gummy chompers at just the right time. Even though carp are big and have to eat virtually all the time, due to their poor eyesight, they are in reality a pretty

Photo: Cameron Mortenson

terrible predator. I can’t tell you how many times my fly was literally inches from a carp’s face on this trip, only to go unnoticed. And while every fish caught wasn’t the 70’, crosswind example I just provided, I’d say the average fish caught was at least 50 feet from me. The silver lining for this place though which makes up for the

fact that you’re A) carp fishing and B) likely in challenging conditions, is the sheer number of fish here. During our full days on the water, it wasn’t uncommon to literally get hundreds of shots at fish. With those odds, you can’t help but get the stars to align on at least a few of your casts.

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TROUTS U

by Kyle Wilkinson

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS

W

e think it’s safe to say the evolution of a fly angler often goes something like: A) “Wow, these mountains and rivers are so pretty.” B) “Oh look at those people down there with all that cool gear waving their fly rods back and forth. Man that looks awesome. I’ve got to try that!” C) “I want to be standing knee deep in a gurgling river surrounded by postcard perfect vistas, too.”. D) “Oh wait, how do I start?” ...and reality slowly begins to set in.

If you’ve ever found yourself in the aforementioned situation, then congratulations, you’ve just found the light at the end of the ‘How

2016 SPRING EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS Orvis 101 Orvis 201 Orvis 301

BEGINNER SCHOOLS:

1-Day Beginner Fly Fishing School 2-Day Beginner Fly Fishing School

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS:

Trouts Streamer School: 1 Day School- April Fundamentals of Nymphing: 1 Day School- March Fundamentals of Dry Fly Fishing: 1 Day School-June

IN-STORE PRESENTATIONS:

Be sure to check our monthly Events Calendar to see what we have lined up for our in-store presentations. These presentations cover countless topics including fishing tips/tricks for our local rivers, basic entomology, winter fishing, fly-fishing for carp, fly tying and discussions on fishing destination locations both near and far. Case in point, there will ALWAYS be something exciting to look forward to each and every month with our in-store presentations.

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Do I Learn To Fly Fish’ tunnel.

Believe it or not, every member of both our shop and guide staff had a point in their lives where they’d never touched a fly rod. And more importantly, we haven’t forgotten that. Whether it’s through our extensive array of in-shop classes/ workshops/presentations, to our on-water schools, guided trips, and hosted travel—helping our customers become better anglers is a fundamental value rooted deeply in all of us here at Trouts Fly Fishing.

So whether you’re interested in learning to tie a blood knot, master the double haul, learn more about fishing Montana, or perhaps just want to know how to tie a few midge patterns to use on the South Platte, we have the educational offerings to accomplish those goals, plus much, much more!

HOSTED TRIPS

Throughout the year Trouts Fly Fishing will be offering several multiday hosted travel options within driving distance of Denver. Keep an eye on our Customer Events calendar or inquire within the shop to see what exciting trips we have in the works!

Photo by Gary Sukovaty

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ON(THE)LINE INTERVIEW

by Kyle Wilkinson

LOUIS CAHILL Tell us a little bit about the history of Gink & Gasoline. Where did the idea come from, how long has it been in existence, and in general, how did you get this whole thing started?

I was working as an advertising photographer and was shooting more and more for the fly fishing industry. I met Kent Klewein and we started fishing together. It was a great partnership. Kent is one of the most talented anglers I’ve ever known and there is an intensity about him that comes through in photographs.

My photos of Kent were popping up on magazine covers all over and I started getting a lot of emails from anglers who were coming to my photography site to look at fishing photos. A portfolio site isn’t a great vehicle for that. There might be 50 or so photos on that site, but my library of fly fishing photos is about 5,000,000 images. I was looking for a way to better serve that community.

Kent had been writing a blog for his guide site and it just seemed natural for us to do something together, so we launched G&G in August of 2011.

Now onto to the name. How did you come up with it and why Gink and Gasoline?

It’s pretty tough to find a good URL that isn’t taken. It seemed like every idea we had ended at a parked domain. We almost called it Crazy Eddies but that wasn’t quite right.

At first we weren’t quite sure what the site was going to be. We were traveling all over the place chasing fish and listening to a lot of loud music in the car. We were playing

the Southern Culture On The Skids CD, “Dirt Track Date,” and the song “Fried Chicken And Gasoline” came on. It’s all about being on the road and everything smelling like fried chicken and gasoline. It hit me like lightning. We had a good laugh and registered the domain. Without anyone knowing it, Dave Grossman and Steve Seinberg were listening to the same music and came up with “Southern Culture On The Fly”, so I guess the fly fishing media owes that band some credit.

Let’s move on to you. Who is Louis Cahill? How did you get your start in fly fishing? Photography?

My grandfather was a fly fisherman. He fished gear mostly, but he fly fished too and watching him captivated me. He taught me to cast a fly rod when I was eight years old. He put one of my grandmother’s dinner

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plates in the backyard, showed me the casting stroke and told me to put the fly on the plate. He gave me an old bamboo rod. It was a cheap hardware store rod and I’m sure he was about to throw it away. The stripping guide had come off and he’d taped a bent paper clip in its place. I fished that rod until I was in my mid 20s when I backed over it with the car.

I’ve always been a photographer, I suppose. My dad took pictures and so does my older brother. I got a handme-down camera, one of the original Polaroid land cameras, and it stuck.

There is a Polaroid taken with that camera in my mother’s photo album and written in my child handwriting, it says, “Double exposure test 1969.”

I delivered newspapers in second grade, and in high school, I sold them room-to-room in the local hospital. When I graduated, I became a photographer for the Danville Register and Bee. I eventually moved to

Atlanta and found my way into the advertising business and later married my best client, which was the smartest decision I ever made.

My wife, Kathy, gave me a waterproof camera to carry fishing and I started to put the photos on my screen saver. My clients loved them and convinced me to put a few on my portfolio site. I didn’t think anything of it, but about a month later, a link to my site appeared on Moldy Chum.

I sold three images that week and decided that maybe I should take it more seriously.

The camera quickly introduced me to some of the top folks in the industry. I met Bruce Chard at IFTD and he walked me around the show introducing me to everyone he knew, which is everyone. Half the folks I met that day are close friends now, including Bruce, without whom G&G would not exist.

On the topic of content, it would be hard to find someone who couldn’t agree you put out some of the best and most consistent around. You’ve got a handful of great contributors, but you still supply the majority of the content. How do you avoid the roadblock of ‘what the heck am I going to write about today?’

First of all, thank you! We certainly try very hard. I love fly fishing and if I’m not talking about it, I’m thinking about it. It’s a short trip from there to writing about it. I’ve been very fortunate to have some great friends who know an awful lot about fly fishing and are interested in writing.

When Kent stepped back a little over a year ago, my job changed. I had to start thinking of myself as an editor. The last thing I wanted was a site that was all about me! Justin Pickett got involved, not only writing but handling the social media, and

that’s been a big help. I talk with my contributors and try to help them with ideas but a lot of the writing still falls on me, and that’s ok. I won’t lie, it’s a challenge but there are a couple of things I keep in mind that help.

First and foremost, I work for my readers. I started the site to serve this community and I take that seriously.

If it is not of value to the readers, it doesn’t go on the site. That said, we have a very diverse audience.

We have readers who are at the very top of the sport and readers who have just picked up the rod. That means that anything I can think of is relevant to someone. Every time I choose a fly or figure out a fish or have a conversation in the fly shop there is the potential for an article. I guess the short answer is I work at it, every minute of every day. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to write.

You’ve recently increased your video presence within the Blog. Tell us a little more about the theory behind this strategy and where you plan to take it.

I’ve always wanted more video on the site. The medium just lends itself to fly fishing and I think it serves the folks who don’t have the time to read an article or learn better from being shown. The problem is, I was overwhelmed. I honestly never expected G&G to take off like it did.

I thought I’d have time to figure it all out. I didn’t. I had to hit the ground running. I became friends with Murphy Kane who had a site called Bent Rod Media. Murphy is a great videographer. He joined G&G about a year ago and it has really stepped up our video game.

We were asked to produce some tip videos for a TV show. We shot the segments but the show got

cancelled so we put them on the site.

They have been very popular and we are expanding that format this year. We are also working on larger video projects, which will be more entertainment-oriented. We created a space on the site called G&G TV. It’s in its infancy right now, but look for that to expand and become more dynamic.

What has been the most surprising and/or most rewarding thing about your Blog?

The best thing about the whole experience has been connecting with the readers. G&G took off at light speed. I was shocked, honestly and kind of naïve. In retrospect, I’m glad it happened that way because it forced me to make some decisions I might not have made otherwise. I decided early on that G&G was going to be a community. It really is and it’s a great community. A very positive and enthusiastic group. That’s why I started hosting fishing trips. So I could hang out and fish with them.

They are real people on the other end of the Internet. It’s easy to forget that. I think of it as having 2 million friends.

What can we expect for the future of G&G? What would you hope readers see when they head to your site five years from now?

Authenticity. G&G continues to grow, but I am committed to keeping it authentic and personal. I never want it to be a canned and polished presentation. I will never push off a bunch of paid editorial on my readers. We try to present it in the best way we can, but at the end of the day we are a bunch of anglers writing about what we love.

More contributors with different points of view. We will be adding

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some different media. Podcasts and more video and, who knows, in five years maybe we’ll be able to take you on a virtual fishing trip, but it will always be about the community. It’s not us telling you, it’s a conversation.

Fly fishing has changed quite a bit since I started (20 years ago) and I’m sure you would agree. There was no such thing as social media, and no internet websites to instantly answer any question I had. Quite truthfully, it was all about reading books, hopefully having a good teacher, and figuring things out on your own. What are your thoughts on the direction our sport is heading?

Fly fishing is growing. I’m sure of that. You hear that it isn’t, but I don’t think that’s true. I think the industry just isn’t doing a good job of tracking it. For a long time industry folks have been saying, “We need another River Runs Through It.” They can’t see that what’s happening now is ten times better. “A River Runs Through It” got a bunch of 60-yearold guys into fly fishing. The Internet is introducing kids and women to fly fishing like never before. It’s amazing.

It’s not just changing the demographic. It’s changing the way we fish and what we fish for. How many folks would be casting to carp or fishing Tenkara rods without the Internet? Anglers are talking to each other, and to the industry, in real time.

Manufacturers get so much feedback now. That means better gear and better anglers.

Maybe the biggest, and most positive change is in conservation.

The discussion over protecting our fisheries has come out of the TU meeting and on to Facebook and Twitter. It’s changing things at every level. If it wasn’t for the Internet, the Pebble Mine would have happened

without us ever knowing. Even at the micro level it’s helping. You see a lot fewer photos of fish being held by the gills these days. You catch hell for that on social media, as you should.

I think the future of fly fishing is the brightest it’s ever been. The learning curve is a whole lot shorter, for sure, but there’s a difference in what folks are learning, too. We are all exposed to a wider spectrum and we are all learning, beginners and pros alike— not only how to catch fish, but how to do it responsibly—and how to share it with others.

Alright enough with the serious stuff—what is your most memorable fish story?

I’ve had some amazing opportunities. I get to do some pretty awesome fishing in some beautiful places. Your readers can check out some of those stories on G&G. Like the fishing trip when I almost died, called “Not Today,” or my existential crisis on the Dean River, in “The River Is Full Of Want.” Getting to fish the Saint Vrain with John Gierach was a real treat for me, since I learned to trout fish from John’s books. You can read about that in, “Not Just Anybody’s Saint Vrain.”

I will tell you about something I haven’t written about though. It’s a small thing, very simple and a long time ago, but I think of it often. My grandfather passed away many years ago. I never got to fish with him as an adult. I remember talking with him about fly casting, picking his brain, and he told me I’d catch a lot more fish if I could throw a really tight loop up under overhanging brush.

“Some guys can put it way back in there,” he told me, “but I was never that good.”

It was good advice and I’ll never forget the first time I made that

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cast. It felt like he was standing there beside me. I never fish under overhanging brush now without thinking of my grandfather. It’s a simple thing, but I know it would make him proud that I took his advice and that I learned to do something he never could.

Lastly, if you could only target one species of fish for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

That’s a tough one! I love so many kinds of fishing and have so many more species I want to catch. If I had to choose though, it would be steelhead. There is something magical about those fish. They are a lifetime of challenge, that’s for sure, but there’s more to it.

I live in the south, a long way from any steelhead. Those fish are out there wild and free, swimming in the ocean where we could never find them, but they are drawn to the river for reasons they can’t fully understand. At the same time, I’m here in Atlanta or wherever, and I’m drawn to those rivers too, for reasons I don’t fully understand. Those fish are traveling and so am I. We meet on the river at that time and place driven by powers we can’t control. Then we both go our own way and never meet again. It feels like destiny. The romance of that idea is incredibly powerful to me. If I just wanted to catch fish, I’d go dig some worms, but I know that, at some level, it’s not really the fish I’m looking for.

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GUIDE SERVICE

W

hen charged with the duty of writing an intro for the Trouts Guide Service section of this magazine, the first thing that came to mind was, ‘sounds fun, but what should I say’? I thought about this for a while and it became impossible to not find myself reflecting back on this past season of guiding. Many of you may be unaware—or perhaps just haven’t given it much thought—but we have a very long guide season here in Colorado. My first trip of 2015 took place in February, and before I knew it, December was here and a few trips were still drifting in. To call it a blur is an understatement, but to not call it incredibly rewarding and fun is just as much of one. Seeing the countless smiles on our customers’ faces is what keeps each and every one of our Professional Fishing Guides getting up and heading back to the river each

and every day… the countless trout wiggling in their nets don’t hurt either.

Aside from simply a great season with great customers and a whole lot of trout, 2015 was a great year for Trouts Guide Service in two other big ways as well. The first of these two reasons needs to start with a little backcast. Here at the shop, we are constantly striving to offer our customer the best experience possible—both in shop and on water.

However, for the past three years, the ‘on-water’ part was handled through a strategic partnership with Freestone Outfitters—the 2014 Orvis Guide Service of the Year and a top-three finalist for 2015. While this partnership benefited both parties greatly, there was never a doubt in our minds there was room to improve.

Early in February of 2015, Trouts Fly Fishing was able to acquire Freestone

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Outfitters, thus bringing both the best retail fly-fishing experience in the state—along with the best flyfishing guide service in the state—all under one roof. Now I won’t lie here, we weren’t entirely sure what the public response would be. Fortunately enough, the resulting reaction from our customers was nothing short of incredibly high excitement and encouragement about the change. It was a resounding ‘win-win’.

The inclusion of a greater outfitting presence under the Trouts Fly Fishing roof leads us to the second big accomplishment of the year.

Three years ago, Trouts Fly Fishing welcomed the Orvis brand into our shop. This decision instantly became an unquestionable success and the relationship between both companies has done nothing but skyrocket since day one. Pair this proven retail relationship with a growing outfitting business, and we were humbled to be recognized this past summer as Colorado’s newest Orvis Endorsed Outfitter. Quite the ‘feather in the cap’ indeed.

As our guides patch leaky waders, replace the laces in wading boots and organize fly boxes, I feel confident speaking for the group in saying another season of guiding can’t get here soon enough. To all of our existing customers—we sincerely thank you for the support thus far. To all the new customers we’re yet to fish with—we can’t wait to meet you! If one thing can be said with certainty, it’s that 2016 is going to be a great year on the water with Trouts Guide Service. I hope you will all come be a part of it.

Now let’s go have some fun out there,

Kyle Wilkinson Outfitting Manager, Trouts Fly Fishing

www.k a s t g e a r .com

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59

GUIDE PLAYBOOK

by Kyle Wilkinson

FISHING THROUGH THE SEASONS— JANUARY THROUGH JUNE

O

ne of the best realities of living on the Front Range of Colorado is that the fishing season truly never stops. Pair one of our 300 days of sunshine with a winter day where the wind decides to lay low, and not much more than some long underwear and a fleece jacket is required to enjoy a few productive hours on the water. Fair warning though—no matter how pleasant it may be out, be prepared to possibly hold back a few choice words after dunking your hands in a February trout stream. Like I said though, you’re fishing in February and that’s a heck of a lot better than being stuck inside, pacing around the house with your second bourbon of the day trying to ward off a case of the shacknasties. Maybe cold hands aren’t so bad after all.

I spend a lot of time on the water and one thing I never get tired of experiencing is how, just like the grasses and trees, the trout themselves also change with the seasons. Being cold-blooded animals, a trout’s metabolism is directly related to the water temperature it’s finning in. This is why during the colder months, the water raising just one or two degrees (thanks to some bright midday sunshine), can be all it takes to get the fish a little more excited to feed. Thankfully, putting some fish in the net during these first 180 days of the year doesn’t have to be rocket science. When guiding, making things complicated is only going to make the day (and most likely, my customers) more frustrated than necessary. My fly selection isn’t the fanciest, but it gets results day in and day out. If

you’re planning on fishing the Front Range of Colorado during the first part of 2016, here is my suggestion on what to take along with you… but only if seeing wiggling fish in the net is a goal of yours.

From a rod/reel and leader/tippet standpoint, your standard trouty setups will work just fine. I like a 9' 5wt or a 10' 4 wt for my nymphing.

I would highly encourage fishing at least a nine foot rod though.

Nymphing will be the name of the game and that extra length will really help with your mending and high-sticking techniques. For leader and tippet there’s also not too much to discuss here. 7.5' or 9' 5x mono leaders and 5x fluorocarbon is my go to. It’s a very, VERY rare day when I pull out the 6x.

FLIES

For the next six months, I feel confident I could head to any river in the state (and particularly the Front Range) on any given day, and make it happen with these 12 flies: San Juan Worm, an egg pattern, Pat’s Rubberlegs, Jujubaetis, Barr’s BWO Emerger, Rs2, Pure Midge, Jujubee Midge, red Copper John, nonbead Pheasant Tail, Film Critic BWO, Parachute Adams.

I firmly believe that the majority of trout swimming in the pressured waters of the Front Range care way more about a proper presentation than the exact right fly. My selection of these 12 patterns allows me to effectively show the trout a multitude of fly combinations while still keeping things simple. As you can see, 10 of the 12 flies listed are nymphs. While

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I love fishing dry flies as much as anyone, the simple fact remains that nymphing on the Front Range of Colorado is always going to be your most consistent producer of fish.

RIGGING

When starting out the day I’ll often fish a three-fly rig with either a San Juan Worm, egg, or Pat’s Rubberleg as my top fly, followed with a Baetis nymph, followed by a midge dropped off the back. Baetis and midges are going to be a primary food source during the first part of the year. I can’t think of a day in years past during this timeframe where one or both of these hasn’t helped add to the day’s total. Regardless of flies, one of my biggest keys to success comes from how I space my flies on my rig. Do this for me—hold up your fist in front of you—now extend your thumb and pinky as far as they’ll go. Voila, this is your spacing for your flies (or at least the spacing I use!) I know it’ll seem a little strange at first to fish your flies this close together but I can assure you it will get results. Remember, the fish’s metabolisms are running low right now and they aren’t going to chase down flies very often. Keep your flies tight and I bet you start needing your net a little more.

ROTATING FLIES

This one is pretty simple, but worth mentioning (and following) if you don’t have a system of your own in place. Pay attention to which flies are getting results. If I catch two fish on an egg, three on a Baetis nymph, and none on the midge, I’ll switch out

the midge. If the fish continue to eat the egg and Baetis, I’ll often ditch the midge completely. Now if the next four fish of the day all come on the Baetis (moving the count to egg-2, Baetis-6, I’ll swap out the egg for a San Juan Worm or Pat’s Rubberlegs.

If nothing eats either of these, I may switch back to the egg because at least it’s gotten a few eats. We’ve already simplified the process of which flies to fish and adding a system for rotating through them will without a doubt make your time on the water much more efficient.

INDICATORS

On technical waters where I know the fish are prone to bite subtly, I prefer yarn indicators. While they do require a little maintenance throughout the day to keep them floating high, the sensitivity of yarn is unmatched. Another advantage of yarn is how softly it lands on the water. Most of the rivers we are fishing are at their lowest levels of the year and we spend much of our time sight fishing (to hopefully large) trout during this time. Yarn indicators land with barely a whisper and won’t leave a ring of bubbles racing away from the loud ‘splat’ caused by a thingamabobber.

WEIGHT

I talk to a lot of anglers in the shop and on the water. One of the top questions I get asked is to look

at their rig. Aside from encouraging them to tighten up their fly spacing, the second suggestion is almost always to add more weight. The majority of trout are going to be sitting very close to the bottom and if your flies aren’t getting right down in front of their faces, you are surely missing out on fish throughout the day. I have two rules for how much weight to use; 1) if you’re not ticking the bottom with your flies regularly (at least every handful of drifts) add more weight.

2) Watch the bubbles! If you’ve never paid attention to the bubbles on the surface before, it’s time to start. Your indicator must be floating slower than the bubbles on the surface!

Remember, the trout are on the bottom of the river. The water on the bottom of the river is moving slower than the water on the surface. If your indicator is floating the same speed as the bubbles on the surface then odds are, you either aren’t getting down to the fish and if you are, your flies are zipping by them at an unnatural rate of speed.

READING WATER

This is another big one for me, and something I see countless anglers doing wrong. Your goal when fishing (and this is really a year round rule) is to find ‘Walking Speed Water’. Next time you approach a spot that you know is holding fish, take a moment to study it before jumping right in.

The water in and around this area is undoubtedly going to be flowing at many different speeds. There will be the slow stuff and there will be the fast stuff. These areas are easy to spot.

What I want you to look for is that in-between water where the current is moving at a speed equivalent of going for a casual stroll. Fish love these areas because the water is moving fast enough to funnel food their way, although not ripping along so fast

they have to burn a bunch of calories to hold in it. Find the walking speed water and you’ve likely just found some feeding fish.

RUNOFF

Everything mentioned above can be a go-to game plan for the first four months of the year and is sure to put countless trout in your net. But what happens during the late spring when the snow up in the mountains decides to make its way into our rivers? While a river resembling Yoo-Hoo may make some anglers cringe, this time of year can provide some of your most memorable days on the water. And the best part is, the fishing can be some of the easiest you’ll see all year! My approach to runoff is pretty simple. To start, all the fish in the river are going to hit the banks so that’s where I’m focusing. They’re here for two reasons 1) seeking shelter from the raging currents found mid-river. 2) there is a ton of food being washed into the river! 99% of the time my runoff rig is nothing more than a Pat’s Rubberlegs trailed by a San Juan Worm. I’ll also bump my tippet size up to at least 4x and oftentimes 3x or even 2x. Make sure you have enough weight to get your flies down and focus on the softer water within a few feet of the bank. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

The approach of a new year is always an exciting time in the eyes of an angler. Thoughts of fish yet to be caught and trips yet to be taken undoubtedly fill all of our heads with anticipation. Fly-fishing is without a doubt a sport that can be easy to overcomplicate. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still do it from time to time. I encourage you all to make it a point to simplify things this season and use the tips and suggestions listed above. I have no doubt putting them into practice will lead to your most productive year on the water yet.

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THE TROUTS GUIDE ROSTER, 2016

KYLE WILKINSON

OUTFITTING MANAGER, PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

Kyle got his first fly rod at the age of 10 and immediately began harassing the bluegill and bass swimming in the ponds of his family farm in Southeast Kansas, where he was raised. His parents made the mistake of taking him to Montana in high school, where he immediately fell in love with being out West and in the mountains. Fly fishing means more to Kyle than just catching fish. It’s about connecting with the people, places, and experiences that this sport provides. Kyle is a very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and patient teacher who has a deep passion for sharing the great outdoors with others.

NATE SATTERELLI

RYAN SULLIVAN

Born and raised in Mason, MI, Nate received his first fly rod at age seven from his grandmother, who is also a die-hard fly angler!

Nate was brought to CO in 2009 from the US Military, serving over 5 years at Buckly Air Force Base. Nate’s main passions are teaching and guiding the sport of fly fishing. In his free time he is either fly-fishing the Front Range Rivers or carp fishing the local ponds, lakes and Denver South Platte. When not fishing, he’s either spending time with his wife, Brittany, and four-year-old daughter, Olivia, or is at CU Boulder studying education in philosophy.

Ryan began fly fishing at an early age, with influences like his father, David James Duncan, Thomas McGuane, and Ed Engle. Any client that is fortunate enough to be with Ryan will experience a guide who is passionate, knowledgeable, and patient. Ryan can be seen on the water along the front range of Colorado year-round.

PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

KAILI PURVIANCE PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

LEE MOLVIE

PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

SCOTT DICKSON HEAD GUIDE

Scott has been fishing as long as he can remember, but it wasn’t until the early 90’s when he picked up his first fly rod. One of the many things Scott loves about fishing is the fact that you’re never done learning. There’s always room for improvement, new things to learn, and new “tricks” to try. Being able to share his skills, knowledge, and experience he’s acquired over the past 20 years with the most novice anglers to the more experienced anglers is just one of the many reasons that keep him guiding year after year.

Originally from North Carolina, Lee grew up on the trout streams of the Great Smoky Mountains. Since moving to Denver after college, he has fallen in love with the rivers of Colorado and the Mountain West and may never move back! Lee enjoys spending time on the river with anglers of all skill levels and his favorite approach is sight-fishing to trophy trout. Lee’s passion for the sport and laid-back attitude will ensure a great day on the water, rain or shine.

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The only thing Kaili likes more than the outdoors is being outdoors with a fly rod. After being introduced to fly fishing a little over five years ago, this Texan turned Coloradoan has spent most of those days exploring the trout waters all over this beautiful state. He’s also been known to pack those rods and catch a plane seeking the trout’s larger relatives on the salty flats of Florida and marshes of Texas.

Regardless of skill or experience level, Kaili is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with clients and be a part of their adventures.

GUIDE ROSTER CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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63

THE TROUTS GUIDE ROSTER, 2016

MITCHELL BLAIN

DAVID LUNA

MARCELO CAIOZZI

Mitchell is a sixth generation Colorado native and helped run his first guide trip when he was 14 years old and has been guiding ever since.

His influences for fly fishing are Todd Clough, Clint Packo, and his father, Mitch Blain, and grandparents, Jim Blain and Jerry Blain. He enjoys any time spent on the water and loves watching people catch fish almost as much as he does catching them himself. Favorite places to fish are anywhere where the fish have big teeth, as well as chasing trout here in Colorado.

David was 12 years old when he moved to Denver Colorado from the border town of Juarez, Mexico. Up until that day, he had never seen a river besides the Rio Bravo (Rio Grande).

He started fishing when he was 14 years old.

David used to spend the whole summer school break fishing, dunking worms for bluegill, bass, and the occasional catfish that would take his tasty treat. After doing that for a few years he was ready to expand his knowledge. During one of his first outings to Waterton Canyon, he saw a fly fisherman for the first time in his life. He was very intrigued and knew he had to try this method. 14 years later he’s still very much in love with the sport. It is something he is extremely passionate about and hopes to pass down to his children.

Macelo was born in Chile, South America where the beautiful and pristine mountains, rivers, lakes and ocean created a lifelong impression on him. Upon moving to the United States he immediately began fishing for everything he could. Teaching people how to fly fish soon became a real passion and he doubled as a professional guide for three, separate fly fishing businesses focusing on such rivers and streams as the legendary San Juan, Rio Grande, and many others. Now residing in Colorado, his passion for fly fishing has taken him all over the state. Besides fishing freshwater, he loves to spend any free time he has heading towards a salty flat with fly rod in hand. Too little time, so much water to explore…

PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

BARRY REYNOLDS PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

Barry is a true renaissance man of fly fishing with extensive experience guiding and hosting fly fishers to angling destinations all over the world. He’s probably most known for his prowess stalking carp and is author of Carp on the Fly: a Flyfishing Guide. Barry’s love for fly fishing and the outdoors is evident in the numerous written articles and photographs he has sold to magazines such as American Angler, Wild on the Fly, Warm Water Angler, and Southwest Fly Fishing. Barry is a certified casting instructor and master fly tier.

PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE

In addition to selling fly fishing equipment, tackle and outerwear, Trouts Fly Fishing also has the most knowledgable and professional staff of fishing guides in the area. If you are interested in hiring a professional fly fishing guide, look no further! Our team of fly fishing guides have put in their time, done all the research, assembled the gear, and can provide the access you need to experience the best fly fishing Colorado has to offer. Whether you want to learn the basics of fly fishing, better understand how to fish your favorite public water stretch of river, or simply get away for a quiet day on a piece of private water you can call your own, our fly fishing guides will have a program that is right for you and what you’re hoping to learn. Our guiding season runs 365 days a year—and whether it be a half-day or full-day trip, public water or private, or perhaps even a large format corporate outting you’re looking for—we have resources and water to ensure your fly-fishing goals are not only met, but exceeded.

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65

TROUTS U (2)

by Kyle Wilkinson

WHAT’S WITH THE NUMBERS? I’d venture to say one of the first things any budding young fly fisher is quickly going to notice when delving into this wonderful sport called fly fishing is the ’numbers’ side of it.

A

nd no, I’m not talking about the numbers of fish you claim to have caught on the river.

What I’m talking about is with gear and flies, and how the majority of it—particularly many of the items you’ll soon acquire in the process of learning to fly-fish—all seem to have a number attached to it. As you might be aware (and if you aren’t, you are now) we offer free classes throughout the month geared specifically towards the beginning angler where we do our best to de-mystify the process of becoming a self-sufficient fly angler.

These classes (titled Orvis 101) cover all the basic terminology associated with fly fishing, along with brief discussions on flies, leader/tippet, and practice tying knots. However, it doesn’t take long (usually about two minutes into the class) until some numbers start to get thrown around. There’s always a fair bit of Q&A involved around this and it got me thinking that surely my customers in these classes aren’t the

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only ones who’ve experienced similar confusion. The good news is, with a little clarification, the numbers side of it shouldn’t be anything that causes your heart rate to climb.

We’ll tackle this by breaking down what all beginning fly anglers typically purchase when getting started—a fly rod, fly line, fly reel, leader, tippet, and flies.

FLY RODS

Starting from the top here, fly rods are always referred to on a number system followed by the word “weight”—typically abbreviated “wt.”. Aside from tippet/leader (which we’ll discuss later) this will be as common of a term as you’ll hear in fly fishing. “Oh I’m using my three-weight in that alpine lake,” or, “Man, that six-weight is perfect for throwing streamers.” You get the idea. In simplest terms, most fly rods on the market today range from a 0-weight up to a 16-weight. The

smaller the number, the lighter duty the rod is. The bigger the number, the heavier duty. 0- through 3-weight rods are most popular for smaller waters with smaller fish. 4- to 6-weight rods are the most popular fly rods for the majority of trout fishing situations you will encounter—with a 5-weight being the universally agreed upon “all-around” fly rod. Simply put, if you’re starting out fly-fishing and want to catch some trout, get a 5weight. 6- to 9-weight rods are going to be most popular for your larger species of fish and/or larger bodies of water. These rods also work great for lighter duty saltwater scenarios.

If you’re going fishing for bonefish, pike, bass, salmon, snook, baby tarpon, steelhead or carp (amongst many, many others) you’ll most likely be toting along a rod between a 6- to 9-weight. Moving on, 10- to 12-weight rods are going to be your all-around heavy duty fly rods—large tarpon, amberjack, striped bass, musky, sharks and large salmon are all going to be perfectly matched for a rod in this weight range. Lastly, rods in the 12- to 16-weight are going to be used for blue-water/ open ocean conditions and will be ideal for targeting billfish, large sharks, and tuna. In summary, when it comes to fly rods, just remember the bigger the number (weight) the bigger/stronger the fish you’re going after is going to be.

FLY LINES

Fly lines also come on a very standardized ‘weight’ system matching the fly rod that will be casting them. For example, a 3-weight fly line goes with a 3-weight fly rod, a 6-weight line with a 6-weight rod, and so forth. While we could go into a whole discussion on fly lines (and perhaps someday we will), for the basis of starting out and just

wondering how this all works, just know that the number on your fly rod needs to match the number on your fly line.

FLY REELS

I’m not going to get into a big discussion here on the number system associated with fly reels because unlike fly lines and fly rods, there is no universal standard to go on. Some companies call their different-size reels a “1”, “1.5”, “2” etc, some call them a “3/4”, “5/6”, etc and some make it even more confusing than this. The good news is, it’s our job here at the shop to tell you what size fly reel you need to match up with your fly rod and that’s all you need to worry about when starting out. If you’re the type though that needs to do the research yourself, all major fly reel manufacturers are going to have a chart on their website telling you what size fly rod their respective reels are designed to match up with.

Now that we’ve covered the fly rod/ fly line/fly reel topic, it’s time to move on to the last number system we need to discuss- and the one that seems to give beginners the most confusion in my opinion—leader and tippet.

LEADER AND TIPPET

Remember how with fly rods/fly lines the bigger the number equaled the heavier duty it is? Well, when it comes to leader and tippet, the exact opposite is true. The bigger the number when discussing leader/ tippet is going to equal a lighter pound test, a.k.a lighter duty. You’ll also notice that leader/tippet does not use the term ‘weight’ as we saw with fly rods/lines, but rather, each number is going to have an “X” that follows it. (this is pronounced “X” and not “times”) Leaders and tippet are most commonly seen in size 0X down to 7X . 0X is equivalent to

about 13 lbs test strength, and when we need to go stronger than this, manufacturers go away from the ‘X’ system and just start printing the diameter of the line and the pound test on the label—but this is nothing we need to be concerned about at this point. Afterall, we’re trying to keep things simple here and 0X-7X is going to get you through almost any fishing situation you’re likely to encounter when learning the ropes of this sport. Lastly, if you’re planning on doing some trout fishing in the state of Colorado, 4X or 5X (avg.

5-7lb) is going to get you through the majority of fishing conditions you’ll find.

FLIES

All fly patterns also follow a universally accepted sizing system and just like with leader and tippet, the bigger the number, the smaller the size. Most flies you see for trout fishing range in size from 2 to 24 and it really is as easy as knowing that a size 8 fly is bigger than a size 20 fly.

In summary, the ‘numbers’ side of fly-fishing shouldn’t be anything that causes new anglers confusion. As long as you remember that the bigger the number on a fly rod/fly line is going to equal “heavier duty”, and the bigger the number on leader/tippet/ flies is going to equal lighter duty/ smaller, you should be good to go!

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A.K.A. GET THE NET

TROUTS ABROAD

by Kyle Wilkinson

THE ULTIMATE COLORADO ROAD TRIP D

AY 1: 5:30AM I’m awakened by my iPhone and jump out of bed. With the next five days devoted to nothing but keeping my fly rod in hand as much as possible and covering ground, I really don’t even need coffee to get my juices flowing— although that still doesn’t stop me from filling up my 32oz. Yeti Rambler to the top. With the car packed the night before, I throw on some layers, swing by Santiago’s for a couple breakfast burritos, and am shortly thereafter, southbound on Hwy 285.

My destination for the day: South Park and the Dream Stream. It’s a Tuesday and I’m optimistic the crowds will be light. The lake-run rainbow and cutthroat are in, and with any luck, I’ll be holding a trout that gets measured in feet, not inches, before lunch time.

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DAY 2: 7:00AM After a successful day at the Dream, and many fish brought to hand that are only available this time of year, I find myself waking up at the 3 Rivers Resort cabins in Almont, CO. The drive last night over Monarch Pass wasn’t as white knuckle as I’ve experienced in the past, however making it back onto a paved road was a welcome site. A couple Knob Creek’s on the rocks while organizing gear was all it took to ensure a solid night’s sleep found itself my way.

After a mandatory chicken fried steak breakfast at Bar 47, I’m headed to the catch and release section of the Taylor today. If a place exists in Colorado with more obese trout packed into one location, I sure haven’t heard of it. Given the time of year, I’m stocked up on eggs, Baetis

and midges along with a fresh spool of Rio 6X. With any luck, a few of those aforementioned bugs will decide to take flight, which should inevitably lead to a few of the big boys deciding to look up. There’s not a better way to ensure the adrenal glands are still functioning than to hook a two-footlong rainbow on a size 20 Film Critic.

DAY 3: 8:00AM The DNR just did

their annual Kokanee fry release the other day on the Gunnison, so my trip couldn’t have been timed better.

I meet up with a good buddy who lives in the area and we decide to float from Almont to the Whitewater Park in Gunnison armed with our 6- and 7-weights. Flows are ideal and the day has ‘one of those feelings’ as we back his drift boat in. He insists I fish first, and while I never have a problem being in the middle seat, I willingly hop over the gunnels into the bow. I don’t make it down for the Kokanee fry release as often as I’d like, and it doesn’t take more than five minutes for a bulbous 18” brown to crush my size eight black Wooly Bugger, instantly doubling over my 6-wt Sage Method. Judging by the belly on this brown, I’m not sure how he thought he was going to fit another meal in there. Guess I’m not the only one taking advantage of the 3+ million fingerlings that just found a new home. If they think these brown trout are something to be wary of as they migrate downstream, there’s going to be a rude awaking once they hit Blue Mesa and meet their first lake trout.

DAY 4: 8:00PM It was tough to

leave Almont after the two days I just experienced. As could be expected, there were no shortage of submarinesized trout to tempt at the C&R and, as could also be expected, landing as many as you hook still never gets easier. The ‘Best of Show’ award though has to go to the Gunnison.

There were points during the day where it became laughable how many football-sized trout found their way into the Clacka donning a temporary new black lip ring. You’ve got to love it when the fishing is so good that pulling your camera out for an 18” brown doesn’t even cross your mind.

But back to today. After a late-night jaunt over McClure Pass, I find myself in Basalt—one of the best trout towns in this state. Now that daylight savings has arrived, I opted to grab a couple extra hours of sleep this morning. I head to the Two Rivers Café for some huevos rancheros and coffee before popping over to Taylor Creek Fly Shop to meet up with a guide buddy of mine who has the day off.

Springtime on the Roaring Fork never seems to disappoint and the reports I’ve been getting have me anxious to get on the river. We decide to float from Carbondale to Two Rivers. In typical Roaring Fork fashion this time of year, we caught them on everything.

Nymphing with an egg and a Jujubaetis produced from the put-in— and around 2:00 in the afternoon—we got into a Baetis hatch that eagerly had me ditching the bobber to spend the next hour throwing small dry flies to over-eager rainbows and browns.

Once this wound down we decided to throw streamers the rest of the way out. Thankfully enough, the loop knot on my olive Sculpzilla was tested multiple times. The plan for tomorrow is to head to the Lower Eagle. For now though, I’ve got a date with some margaritas at the Riverside Grill that I don’t want to keep waiting.

DAY 5: 7:00AM Back on the road I find myself for the last day of this incredible road trip. Tonight I’ll be comfortably back in my own bed, but you can bet I still need to fill up my Fishpond Nomad net a few more times before I let that reality set in. The Eagle River is another personal favorite of mine and while a lot of folks like to focus on the upper stretches closer to Vail, it’s the lower stretches near Gypsum that keep me coming back. I’ve heard some people describe it as ‘just a bunch of frog water’ and I’m good with that. Let them have their fun playing with the cookie cutters up high. I’ll be once again bringing out the 6-wt, looking for something that makes you involuntarily swear out loud when it grabs ahold of my articulated offering attached to some 1X!

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MENDS & BENDS

SO I GOT SKUNKED...

AND NOT CATCHING A FISH HAS NEVER FELT SO GOOD.

I

am en route to Sedalia to meet my clients for my first guide trip of 2015. After a three month break from guiding, and plenty of personal fish brought to hand in that time frame, I was ready to get the 2015 season kicked off with a bang. Driving south on Santa Fe, the Farenheit showed a reading that, were it a human, still wouldn’t be able to have a beer legally…or even get drafted for that matter. Nonetheless, I was bundled up and ready to have some fun. The thermos was full of hot coffee and ‘Climb To Safety’ blared at a decibel that, were my wife to get in the car, would have undoubtedly resulted in a request to turn it down. My customers for the day were a fatherson duo, the son being a regular customer of the shop and all around

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by Kyle Wilkinson great guy. Let’s get this started.

Fast forward.

Eight months and according to my odometer, 20,000 miles later, I’m back in the truck drinking coffee with an all too familiar destination in mind— the river. Today is different though.

Today I’M actually going fishing this time. The light at the end of the guide season tunnel is beginning to show, and myself, along with Lee Molvie and a couple other buddies are headed towards Grand County.

We stop for breakfast and coffee in Hot Sulpher Springs at The Glory Hole, and after a healthy display of gluttony, continue on towards our destination—the Colorado and Williams Fork. (Side note: Don’t laugh at the name of this restaurant unless you’ve been there—and if you have been there—I guarantee you’re not laughing because there’s nothing funny about a breakfast that damn good.)

Temps are still in the teens as our rigs pull into the parking lot and we hurriedly rush to pile on layers of fleece, Primaloft and Gore-Tex. Once this mandatory step is complete comes the rigging of rods. It is then I find myself a bit stalled out. I’m staring into my Fishpond Dakota at

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a pile of rods and reels, yet I’m not moving. I glance around at my three counterparts busily stringing up flies and hear terms such as ‘Jujubaetis’, “midge”, ‘eggs’ and ‘worms’ being thrown around. And then it hits me.

“I can’t do it. I can’t nymph today.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love anything that involves fly fishing (with the exception of fly fishing vests and 6x tippet) and I gladly accept the realities that nymphing will always be the most surefire way to pile up the numbers—particularly in November.

But after eight months of guiding and untold hundreds of hours at staring down a thingamabobber, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I reach into my boat bag, pull out a few streamer boxes and toss them in my sling pack—but not before selecting a personal favorite to begin the day with. “Throwing some meat today, huh?” I’m asked. “Yep, I just can’t do it. I can’t nymph. I’d rather not catch a fish than spend another second staring at a thingamabobber right now.”

We hit the river and the guys instantly get to putting fish on the board. It’s freezing cold and my confidence in getting a chase at this hour is slim. Still, it feels good to be casting and working the water. I spot a few fish holding in the riffles, call over Lee and he hooks them on his first drift.

Here’s the deal, I’ve decided. Two hours have passed and I’m yet to get a grab, or even a chase for that matter. It doesn’t matter to me. I know what I’m getting if I switch over to the bobber. I don’t know what I’m getting if I keep at this. I change colors, change sizes, change retrieval methods and speeds. Still nothing.

Nada. Zilch.

Three hours later, we’re up on the Willy’s Fork and I’ve seen enough by now to know the fish aren’t in the

mood for meat. The reason behind this is still unclear to me because the day had warmed up nicely and the fish were hammering the nymph rigs.

I love to fish streamers and consider myself pretty good at it. I knew I was working the water thoroughly. I knew I was fishing the right size and color of patterns and rotating through different types of water. I wasn’t fishing bad either. I was putting my casts exactly where I wanted to.

Working the different water columns exactly how I wanted to. For whatever reason though, it just wasn’t coming together. I hate it when I hear people say they “fished bad today”. I don’t mean it in an arrogant or egotistical way, but that is one thing I’ve never walked away from the river saying.

Whether it’s been two minutes or two hours since my last bite, allowing that negativity to come into play is never going to put fish in the net.

Five hours later, we’re headed back downriver with the cars and cold beers on our minds. The guys had caught enough fish that we decided to end the day a little early and make it back to Denver at a decent hour.

Fishless and starting to receive some playful shit-talking from my friends, I could have cared less.

I spent all last week thinking about that day. After the first hour I knew the bite wasn’t on fire. Why didn’t I ditch the streamer, spend a few hours nymphing, put a pile of fish on the board and perhaps re-examine the streamer bite during the last hour of the day? If you have the answer for this question shoot me an email or give me a call because I still don’t know. Hell, I was even at a very good place to fish streamers and had received several recent, credible reports in the two weeks leading up to the day of the streamer bite being on!

How could I be heading back south with a giant zero on the scoreboard

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yet still be so satisfied with the day?

I think it all comes down to what I said a few paragraphs back. If I switched to a nymph rig early in the day I knew what I was going to get—a bunch of 12-17" Colorado and Williams Fork brown trout (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Sticking with the streamer though, I didn’t know what I was going to get… and maybe that was all I needed from the day.

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INTRODUCING

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