Freestyle - salmon fly

This is my latest fly off the vise. It is more of a practice for getting the wing to sit properly and trying out body types. I actually put the topping in boiling water this time to straighten out the stem so it would sit straight. I still have an issue with getting it to sit how I wanted it to. I am really happy with the fly and hope to have a photo of another fly I tied over the weekend up later this week. Also, I finally found a mono filament that makes a good gut substitute, also three is better than one.

St Varin - CO

This week saw a  bit of a snow storm come in and we had a couple of days of snow and then a pretty cool weekend.

The original plan was to go to Lagerman Res. and hunt down some pike before ice formed on the lake. So I got up pretty early and drove down to Vic’s to grab a coffee before heading towards Lagerman Res. Upon arriving at the lake the sun was peaking over the hills and there was no wind, however when I got out to have a look around it was a lot colder than I expected. So the plan changed, and it changed to trout; but where to go. So I headed home, grabbed a bunch of fly boxes, waders, more socks and clothes to fight the cold. I consider the St Varin home water, but I have not fished it much and what time I have spent on it has not been very successful. So I drove to a few spots and looked around and finally decided on a section to fish. The first section was pretty low and lacked any sign of fish, however I did end up catching a trout without even seeing it or knowing about it until I went to cast again. This was my first time back on a trout stream for a while so I was feeling like a beginner again and also it seemed like I was walking on marbles half the time.

After my first fish I got into so good water and started to see trout where I expected to see them. Out of a bunch of there was a pretty sizable one at the head of the group so I decided to pick on that guy and forget about what happened to the rest. After a few fly changes I found that he was interested in a midget larva pattern (basically a holographic bead head, thread body and copper ribbing). The fish gave a pretty good battle and it was all worth it. The rest of the time was pretty hard going as the sun was pushing my shadow further in front of me making my presents known by all the fish before I could see them. All that I saw was the wake from the trout as they made for the rocks and holes.

Lagerman Res. - Longmont - CO

I was looking through the maps on http://www.fishexplorer.com for a place to go fishing for pike and I found that Lagerman Res. was close to where I lived and they do stock pike. So I set off to see what it was like. Right now it is pretty free of vegetation and one section of the reservoir is closed for a period of the time during the year for birds, but it is open now. From what I have read, you can catch walleye on the east side, but the normally closed of section looked good for cruising pike. I fished all the way around the reservoir and only saw a couple of dead pike on the rocky sides. When I got around the the flats I did see a cruising pike, but it was not interested in what I had on. The flats look great for cruising fish and once I saw some carp I turned to a small crayfish and was able to bring one to the net. I also spent some time casting to an orgy of carp, but they were either not eating or were to busy eating something that I did not have. Looks like I will be back here to see if I can get some more carp and a possible northern pike.

Hygiene Lakes - Longmont, CO

Another weekend and another day out trying to get some big fall bass. The wind had pickup this week and the action had slowed off. I did see quite a few bass close to shore, but nothing was really taking any thing. If you know the lakes and the back lake there is a feeder pipe that the bluegills like to hang around, but today there was about three pretty nice sized bass and I was happy to get one. I did not have my normal camera and the one I had was on my super crappy DVD recorder.

Looking about going out and trying for some Fall crap at McCall tomorrow (I have no idea if you can catch fall crap), or possibly go to Lagerman Res. to see what it is like and if it is possible to get some pike. Originally I was planning on going to Gross Res. for salmon, but I am not up for the drive; could try during the week on the way home.

Hygiene Lakes - Longmont, CO

Over the last couple of weeks I have been out at Gross Reservoir hoping for a chance meeting with a school of salmon that were running to their breeding grounds. However, it seems like either the water is not cold enough or the water level is too low for the salmon to run far enough up the inlet. All over the shore is schools of small (3-4”) trout that are willing to inspect anything thrown their way, but to inspect before running for the depth of the lake. Until the salmon start to run there is still the thrill of fall fishing for bass. At this time of year the big bass are packing on the pounds and are looking for that big fat meal with not effort, therefore slow moving fish or crayfish hiding out between the weeds. This weekend was my first time out for the fall bass and it did not disappoint. On Saturday I went out for the last two hours of daylight, but it was the last 10 minutes before I was able to fool a bass into taking a white rabbit strip stream fished slow and deep.

Due to the late success of the day before I decided to head out a little earlier, also today the sky was completely blue which may hinder the bite, but only time would tell. Armed with a crayfish pattern freshly tied off the vise, I decided to hit up some of the other lakes around Hygiene that I have not really visited. I saw several bass waiting close of the shore and some patrolling the shallow waters, but every cast sent them running or running before I even got a cast off. The first fish came when I let the crayfish settle to the weedy bed.

I decided to move on through another two lakes, but did not see or feel a fish. Moving to the final lake in the set I spend several hours casting into the dark depths of the lake, but with no luck. I then decided to change to the white rabbit strip streamer that worked the day before. Balancing on a downed tree about five meters from shore the white rabbit did the job. Not a big bass, but a bass none the less.

 

By now the sun was low in the sky and the number of fisher people was picking up. Additionally, my time on the lake was eating into dinner making time. On the way back to the car I decided to throw out the white rabbit into some nice looking water filled with bluegills. The third and final fish of the day succumbed, victim to the wiggling lure of the rabbit strip on top of the glittery white chenille body.

All in all, the first trip out for some fall bass was a great success. Now back to the vise to fine tune my crayfish pattern and to fill my boxes with rabbits for all those hungry bass.

Parvin Lake

This weekend was all about getting a fish to bite and then let it go about a minute later and not getting it landed.

I went out to Parvin Lake, which is part of Red feathers lakes, last weekend and really did not get up to much apart from see what it is like. This weekend I decided to go again and walk around the whole lake. I was mainly casting a brown or black heavily weighted rabbit. I got around half of the lake and had only hooked one trout which broke off before I could get the fight under control. However, the surprise of the day was yet to happen. As I was standing waist deep in water thinking about where the hell all the trout were I looked down to my right at a submerged tree and right next to it looked to be a something that had a very fishy shape. I was not really too sure what it was, but I noticed the back fin was waving so either it was a really big trout or a Tiger muskie. So I tossed out the streamer I had on and got the fly to go past the front of the fish, the fish moved its head to the left and gave away that it was a muskie. So I replaced the streamer I had on with a more heavily weighted black rabbit and one with the biggest hook I had, a size 6 (barbless). Now if I got this muskie on the line I was thinking that it was going to be a very short fight as I was using a 5 wt line and a 5lb leader, but it was worth ago. So I tossed out the fly and this time the muskie took the streamer and with a big jerk of the rod I had my first muskie on any kind of fishing gear. The first thing he did was go aerial and after one big splash I thought that was going to be it for my fly line. But I and it held out and it looked like he was trying to bury his nose in the lake bottom. As I moved in to make sure I was not snagged he took off again and with this jump the fly came right back at me and hit me in the body.

After that the fishing did not pick up for me, but people on float tubes started to arrive and catch trout out in the middle of the lake and that was kind of where I expected them to be. All in all it was a good day, but could have been amazing.

For those that have not see a tiger Muskie here is a photo of one from someones website, these guys are not small. Makes the pickerels that I was catching in PA look like babies.

More bass

Had a bit of time during the weekend to get out and go bass fishing. I found the only fish I caught sitting close to the shore and watching bluegills. However, the first time I cast to him he took off, but he came back after about 10 mins and this time he went start for my black rabbit strip stream. It was a nice fish for where we were.