FINALLY SOME FISH !!

Well I finally got a chance to get out and do some fishing.  This trip was a long time coming since trout season has now been closed for over 2 months.  I went to a new place in secret location and decided to do some hiking. What would today bring??  I couldn't wait to find out!

Just as soon as the sun started coming up, so did the trout :)  I caught this brown in the very first hole and very first cast in.  So far so good :)  Man was the grass green for this time of year.

Soon the sun was out in full effect and things really started to look green.  The holes were starting to become visibly see through and the fish could be seen swimming effortlessly through the current.  Occasionally one would rise to the surface to sip on the leave particles passing by.

After watching them rise for about a half hour I decided the only thing to do was to tie on a Bomber and proceed from 10 to 2 and let the fly do it's thing.  SMASH goes the bomber and a beauty Brown comes to hand.  Love those Bombers :)

A few more Brown's were brought to hand and I was really excited about how well these trout were thriving in this beautiful stream.  Around the next bend things seemed to change and looked even better than water I had just fished.  The creek seem to be a bit smaller but looked like maybe it could be holding some wild Brookies to boot.  Onward and upward I went.  Each hole seemed to be plucked right out of my dreams and placed before me.  Challenging me to hit the mark and see what happens.

What happened next surprised me and brought a huge smile to my face.  Just as I had suspected,  BROOK TROUT!!!!!!!
 

When I finally reached what looked to be the end of the stream, I came across a sort of waterfall spilling from above off of a limestone bluff.  Could there be a spring that high up ???  Well the only way to find out was to climb up and see if my curiosity was going to pay off.  So up I went.  Luckily I was wearing hiking shoes and this made gripping a hold of the rocks a lot easier.

I made it to the top and to my disbelief the trickle of water was coming from what seemed to be a sweet looking, tiny, trout stream.  More limestone and beautiful gin clear water.  It looked good enough to drink, but of course I know what can happen from drinking dirty water and I decided to hit the Camelbak up full of ice cold Capri Sun instead.  Things were looking UP.  Literally :)

First hole looked like a winner so in went the Bomber and out came a Brookie.  What a great equation. :)

The Brookie was released and I continued on towards what looked like another small hill top.  The stream seemed to becoming directly from the bottom of it.  Maybe the spring was somewhere on that hill and I was determined to find out.

Fishing along the way, wildlife seemed to be out and not afraid to get their picture taken.  The Brook Trout were everywhere and I even managed to get a pic of a baby fawn that was doing it's best to hide out.  This place just seemed to keep getting better as the day went on.  I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to pull myself away and get back to reality again.

The day grew longer and soon the misty dusk sky started to set in.  I continued to catch Brookie after Brookie and there didn't seem to be any presence of Brown Trout in this stretch of stream.  My hand's were starting to get cold after releasing the fish into the ice cold water.  But I still hadn't made it to that hilltop so I just kept going. 

I was hoping to maybe come across a lunker of a Brookie so I switched my flies up and tied on a Castle Rock Killer trailed by  a Mud Honey .  Maybe this would attract the monster of stream and I may set a new record :)

I never did get any monster Brookie, but I was happy with all of the willing healthy ones that were so kind and took my fly.  I busted out the Binoculars and looked towards the hill top to see if I could see where this water was coming from.  Still no sign, so had to keep going until I could get close enough to see.  Where in the heck was I.  It seemed so far away and unfamiliar, but yet it seemed like I had been there before.  Huh.

The flowers were in full Bloom and the Butterflies were everywhere?????  Is that possible this time of year.  This was definitely a first. 

More Brookies came to hand and the stream meandered for an eternity.  Now matter how far I hiked the hill just seemed to keep getting farther away.  The bumble bee's were out buzzin and the grass was super green and extra lush. 

I gave up on trying to get to the hill and concentrated on catching some more fish.  I just kept casting and the fish just kept biting.  It was just Brookie after Brookie after Brookie after Brookie after healthy Brookie.  This is the best place in the world.  I can't wait to take some one here and show them this.  I was ecstatic.  I could hardly contain my excitement.  I just wanted to yell through the valley. " I love this place!!!!!"   Then................................................................................................................................

I WOKE UP !!!!!!!!  :(

Until Next Time ........ Tight Lines to All!!!   :)

Versatile Blogger Awards

I was recently awarded the Versatile Blogger Award from Howard over at Windknots & Tangled Lines. Thanks again Cofisher.  He awarded six other Bloggers the same reward and said to pass it on.  I don't want anyone else to miss out on their chance at it so here are my 7  Versatile Blogger Award recipients :)  I based my decisions on which of the blogs I follow seem to really mix it up and always surprise me on how many different things they cover with each post.  If your blog is below could you please pass this on to your top 7  versatile bloggers of your choice.   If you aren't following these blogs already, be sure to check them out.

  Versatile Blogger Award goes to: :)

Small Stream Reflections

 http://smallstreamreflections.blogspot.com/

This blog is great. Great Photos, Fly Tying, Art in the form of Streamers, Food and wonderful Brook trout adventures in the North East.  Go check it out.

The North River

 http://thenorthriver.blogspot.com/

Fishing for Brook Trout is one of my favorite parts about this blog.  Tenkara fishing. Wonderful flies.  Trips to orchards and other adventures.  Go check it out.

Dry Fly 'Expert'

 http://dryflyexpert.blogspot.com/

The name says it all.  If there is anything you need to know about Dry Fly Fishing, this is the place to go.  Different techniques of stalking trout, different flies for each occasion, discussions on protecting the streams we fish.  Plus he has his very own fly line.  Awesome.  Go check it out.

Up The Poudre

 http://www.upthepoudre.com/

 I really enjoy the writing in this blog.  He covers topics that we all think about and know need to be talked about.  Plus some great photography with wonderful fishing adventures in some of Colorados finest water.  I really enjoy the humor.  And don't forget about the Bulldogs ;)  Go check it out.

Utah Water Log

   http://utahwaterlog.blogspot.com/

 O.K. now this blog is a great blog to check out if you love seeing every kind of beautiful trout that Utah has to offer.  Great posts on each fishing adventure accompanied with pictures that take you right there along for the trip.  I really like all of the different types of water fished.  Lets just say you have to be willing to get dirty and hike for some of these great fishing spots.  Go check it out.

High Plains FlyFisher
http://highplainsflyfisher.blogspot.com/

This blog takes you all around the Ozarks and other great areas down  south on fishing adventures.  Fishing with his buddy Joe and sharing all of the great times with awesome photography.  Plus he likes to fish in Iowa's Driftless which I am a sucker for myself.  Go check it out.


Illinois Wisconsin Fishing
http://illinoiswisconsinfishing.blogspot.com/
I really enjoy all of the different fish targeted in this blog.  If you are after smallies on rivers,check.  How about some trout in the Driftless, check.  Let's not forget about some beautiful Salmon and Steelhead river running from the lake.  One of my favorite things is his willingness to tell you where to fish and what to use to catch the fish you are after.  Go check it out.

O.k. so there you have it.  My top 7 Versatile Blogs.  I hope everyone likes my choices and no one takes them personal.  These are just a few of the awesome blogs I follow.  To see more fishing adventures from all over the world check out my blog roll at the bottom of my page :)

Until Next Time......Tight Lines to all.

Driftless Creations Fly Tying

Hello to everyone out there :)  I just wanted to let everyone know about the new blog site I have been working on.  It is a blog dedicated to fly tying.  Whether you tie your own flies or not I hope you will check it out and I hope there is a little bit of something for everyone.  I will be doing some how-to's and different posts on tricks from the vise.  Be sure to follow along so that you don't miss out on any future giveaways.  :)

Click on the Picture Below to Check Out:

Driftless Creations Fly Tying

Until Next Time......Tight Lines to All !!!!!

Better Than Nothing :) I'll Take It !!!!!!!

I recently found out that some streams around here can be fished after trout season ends.  It took me a while to finally get some answers, but finally I was able to get a hold of a DNR Warden. There are two river/streams that can be fished at the lower stretches near by.  When I asked the DNR Warden about fishing on them, I was told that as long as I don't "target" trout that I could fish them through out the year.  I asked what I should do in the case I do catch a trout and I was told that they should be immediately released.  I figure as long as I can walk along them and hike while tossing a line in the water what do I have to lose.  Now before you head out and decide to fish a stream/river make sure you get the proper directions from the DNR on what streams and what part of the stream is fishable.  There aren't a bunch of them but there are a few.  

After finding this out I decided to head out for a little bit and scope out the water.  I completely forgot that it had just rained quite a bit and this meant the river we went to was a nice thick brown color :(  Since we already made the drive and the day was beautiful, we decided to make the best of it and enjoy the day.  Once the river goes down and the snow falls instead of rain, I look forward to hitting this stretch of river hard.  I am not sure exactly what will be caught, but I know there are quite a few different species of fish in this river.   Here are a few pics from our adventure.  I hope next time we head there the water is a lot nicer and slower flowing. 

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME..........TIGHT LINES TO ALL!!!!!!!!

A DUDE NAMED EAGLE - FROM AUSTRALIA - ARE YOU OUT THERE?

Ok so this is just a quick post to try and find someones email address :)  A while back a fellow fisherman from Australia contacted me about my blog and pictures.  His nickname was Eagle and I can't remember his real name right off hand.  If you are out there and reading this post I just wanted to apologize for not getting back to you.  I use the new Yahoo mail and some how when I deleted other emails yours accidentally got erased.  I hope you come across this post somehow and then you could resend me an email so I can get back to you about your questions.  If anyone else knows this fellow I would appreciate some contact info to get a hold of him.  I hope this works :)  Anyways Tight Lines to all!  Eagle if your out there shoot me another email  !

UNTIL NEXT TIME....TIGHT LINES TO ALL!!!!!

A PLACE TO FISH - A PLACE TO REFLECT

Although I may not be able to fish some of these spots right now, I am still able to spend time hiking them reflecting on a wonderful summer come and gone.  :)

Until Next Time..........Tight Lines to All  !!!!!!!!!