The Christmas Trout

I had a few days off this week, and took advantage of the opportunity to fish a nearby stretch of water that I heard was not iced over.   I found that it was in fact flowing well, and enjoyed fishing for a couple of hours.   Hiking down a snowy trail to a trout stream is always fun, especially so close to Christmas.   I had plenty of layers and a Filson hat to fight the cold, and had a great time tossing streamers for the big trout that I hoped were lurking under the surface.

It was slow going for a while, and I took a few moments to sit on a rock, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and enjoy the fact that I was not in the office.   

After taking a break on the bank of the stream, I resumed casting, and felt a tug on the line.   After a decent fight, I landed a nice rainbow.  It was likely the last trout that I will catch in 2013, and I was very lucky that it was such a beautiful fish.   

The time on the river allowed me to reflect on the great friends that I have fished with this year, and met through the fly fishing community.  I've been very blessed, and looking forward to many more trips in the future.  Merry Christmas!

Book Review-50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish

I've been able to spend some time with my copy of The 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish by Terry and Wendy Gunn.   I love to read, especially during the recent subzero, snowy days that we have experienced, and have thoroughly enjoyed this book.  

The book is 253 pages of outstanding color photographs, infomation, and anecdotes about Tailwater Fisheries across the country.  It is broken down by region, and there is a ton of local information and wisedom from local experts about how best to fish the water highlighted.   I've fished several of the Tailwaters in the book, and found the information to be accurate, helpful, and detailed.   So detailed in fact, that information is given about the cell coverage for each river.   Although we like to say that part of the reason to go fishing is to get away from our phones, it is very helpful to know if you can make that quick call home in the midst of exploring the area.   Other helpful facts like the nearest medical help, lodging, and the closest fly shops are included.

Three of the most productive days of  dry fly fishing that I have ever had were on the Fryingpan River.   I'll never forget fishing large Green Drake dries on a soft, Scott G flyrod.   I'm not sure that I caught a trout under 16 inches.  I read the section on the Fryingpan with interest, and learned a lot of information that will be very useful on my next trip there (since big Green Drakes are not always the fly of choice!)   There was information on where to fish,how to fish, and what to fish. A complete breakdown of the common insects, fly patterns and seasons, and common hatches will make a first trip to a new river that much more successful for someone that has never fished there.

The book is broken down into the following regions, which each contain numerous rivers:  The West, The Rockies, The South, and The East.   In the East, I found an article on the Muskegon River.   I have many fond memories of fishing this river when I lived in Michigan, and I read it with interest.   With the information I learned from reading this, I realized that I need to go back....there is a ton of water and techniques that I missed! 

This book is not only fun to read, but is a great reference that I will keep nearby.

This book would make a great Christmas gift for a fellow flyfisher, or yourself!   It is published by Stonefly Press.   http://stoneflypress.com

BDF uses a three tiered gear rating system for gear reviews.

Dry Fly =       Great Product
Emerger=       Good product with potential
Nymph=         Could use improvement   

The 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish earns Dry Fly status.

Fiberglass Fly Rod Article-Fly Fisherman 2014 Gear Review

 I just picked up the new Fly Fisherman 2014 Gear Guide that recently hit the newsstands.   BDF friend Cameron Mortenson has a feature article on the fiberglass fly rod revolution which he has been a huge part of.  I've got a few "noodley" fiberglass rods that I like to fish on small streams on occasion, and I am looking forward to reading the article, especially on an evening like tonight, when it will be close to -15 degrees and snowing.












I

Big Thompson Canyon

I traveled up the Big Thompson Canyon for the first time after the recent, and devastating flood.  The road crews have done an amazing job, and opened the Highway 34 route last week, rebuilding a large section of the destroyed road.   Although it is called a "temporary" road, it seems to be in very good shape, and is paved for the entire route.

The devastation in the canyon was difficult to see, and the loss to homes and property owners was immense, as you can see from some of these photos.  The river bed has changed forever, as the river simply changed it's route where ever it pleased.  We saw several bridges sitting alone in the canyon, with no water beneath them, as the river flowed several hundred feet away.   Boulders and rocks are spread throughout the canyon, completed changing how it used to look.   Smith Park, where our family has had picnics for many years is completely gone.

Mountain Goats in the Canyon

There are signs of hope.   As mentioned, the roadway is mostly rebuilt, allowing access to the canyon so people can start the rebuilding process.   The town of Estes Park was thriving, with businesses reopening, and some of the damage repaired.  Reports from the DWR is that the trout count on the upper Big Thompson has soared since the flood, and I saw many fly anglers working the snowy river on the drive up.  It will be like learning a new river when I fish it again, as many of the familar spots that I have fished in the past are only recognizable due to the mile marker on the road.    I visited Kirk's Flyshop in Estes, met with the friendly staff, and purchased a few needed items.  Although the purpose of this trip was not to fish, I will look forward to returning to these waters in the future.



Big Thompson River in Downtown Estes Park

I've reported on the recovery of the Poudre River since the same flood.  While the Poudre suffered damage, the Big Thompson destruction was significantly worse.   Although nature will take care of it's recovery, as evidenced by the fish count, my thoughts are with the people that will have to rebuild their homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Kirk's Fly Shop



The last cast of the day...

Yesterday I spent a couple hours on a local stream.   I hooked a few trout, but it was one of those days when the trout got away before they got to the net, which in the long run really not a bad thing since the less you handle the trout, the better off they are.   But, I still like to take in the beauty of the trout in my net, and it was not happening.    I did hook several aspen leaves, and I managed to land each of them!

I really enjoyed myself since the weather was very nice for late fall, but the time came to head back into town.   As I walked back to the car, I decided to hit a favorite hole for a couple "last casts" of the day.   I walked down the bank, adjusted the indicator, and made a few casts into the deep pocket.   It took a couple casts to get the perfect drift in the tricky currents, but it paid off.   The indicator disappeared, and a rainbow flew out of the water after taking the zebra midge.   He was full of fight, and I had to work my way down stream as he jumped, headed behind rocks, and zigzagged through heavy currents in an effort to defeat me.   I won this particular battle, and brought him to my net.   I snapped a couple of photos, and released him back into the cold fall water.   I'm glad that I decided to make a last cast of the day in that deep pocket.

 

50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish

The cold and crisp days of late fall are upon us in Northern Colorado, and there is nothing better than a great book to read by the fire.  Stonefly Press just released a new book written by Terry and Wendy Gunn called 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish.   Some of the best days of fly fishing that I have ever had have taken place on storied tailwaters across the county.  The Gunn's have written a book that focuses on many of these rivers.  It looks like a great read, and I will give you a detailed review in the future.  I can't wait to read about some of my favorite waters on a late fall day when the wind is howling and I just don't feel like heading out.


Tom Rosenbauer, Marketing Director at the Orvis, and author of The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide, said, "Not many people realize that today most of the best trout fisheries in the lower 48 states are tailwaters, or influenced by dam release.  They all have some common elements, but just knowing how to fish one doesn't guarantee success on another.   Wendy and Terry Gunn have identified the best tailwaters in North America and distilled each fishery into a succinct and helpful guide with no fluff-just good solid info.  The maps of each river are alone worth the price of admission.  If you don't know much about tailwaters and you like to catch trout you must have this book.  If you think you're an experienced tailwater angler you'll be sorry if you don't get a copy."

Check it out at http://stoneflypress.com

-  

 

Fall on the Poudre River

Fall and early winter are my favorite times of the year.   The cool days, bright leaves, and best dry fly fishing of the year combine for great times in the Colorado mountains.   A couple weeks ago I took the time to head up the Poudre Canyon for a couple of hours of flyfishing.   This was my first trip up the canyon since the devastating flood in September.   The Poudre River, which usually runs around 150 CFS, was well over 10,000 CFS.   The Poudre Canyon is more rustic, and less built up then the Big Thompson Canyon to our south, and thus received less damage to the roadway, and residences.   After a few repairs, the road up the canyon was opened, and I was anxious to see what the status of my favorite river was.   This river has taken a lot from Mother Nature in the past couple of years...a major fire which left soot and debris in the river, and now the flood.  

I was amazed at what I found when I made the drive up the familar road.   The river level was down, and appeared close to normal for this time of year.  The water was crystal clear, and it seemed as though the massive flood water had scrubbed the riverbed clean.   The piles of soot which formerly lined the banks was gone, and the river seemed like it had been reborn. 

The fall color seemed to be in it's peak, and I greatly enjoyed the drive.   I decided to stop at a new spot in the river that I had not fished before, geared up, and entered the cold, clear water.   I caught a couple of bright fall browns, and marveled at their survival from the recent tempest.   Although the floods caused a terrible loss of property and life, at the end of the day, nature rebuilds itself.   We had prepared ourselves for several years of poor fishing in the lower canyon due to the constant wash of soot and ash...but now it seems even more pristine then before the fire. 

Make sure you get out and experience fall where you live...and take a moment to enjoy the splendor.

 

Gear Review-Patagonia Stormfront Hip Pack

In my search for the perfect fly fishing pack, I recently picked up the Patagonia Storm Front hip pack.   I've always liked the hip pack idea, but I've never had much luck with them since I like to wade in fairly deep water, which causes most hip packs to get water inside.  That is not something that is acceptable to me.  For the past several years, I have used several sling style packs in order to try and solve this problem.  However, with any sling pack, it is more weight around your neck.  Most are not waterproof either, so when wading, I would often get the bottom of the pack wet, which could get the contents soaked as well.

When the Patagonia Storm Front arrived, I was immediately impressed with the solid, YKK zipper.   It is evident that this zipper is designed to be waterproof and tough.  The pack is a simple design, with no external pockets, and one large interior compartment that could comfortably carry up to four normal sized fly boxes (I usually roll with three boxes, which leaves plenty of room for other items).  There are several mesh style pockets attached to the inside compartment which were perfect for leaders, indicators, license, and other smaller items.  I was initially concerned about the lack of more compartments since I am used to bags that have tons of organizational features, but after field testing this pack, I realized that while nice, I really didn't need them.

I've had other fly fishing packs that looked nice, but didn't hold up well under actual fishing conditions.  I put the Patagonia pack to work as the only pack I wore through several days of fishing from dawn to dark on our recent trip to Gunnison.

The pack is truly WATERPROOF.   It is not "water resistant", it is actually water proof.  During the week of fishing, it was submerged numerous times while I was wading, or fighting a fish.   I never found a drop of water inside the pack, and everything in the pack was nice and dry at the end of the fishing day.  During the week I was crawling through rocks and brush, and the buckle stayed secure and the exterior of the pack survived unscathed.  The only issue that I had was that I lost one of the external rod tube straps while hiking through a rough area of underbrush in pursuit of a rising trout.  Fortunately, NocoNympher happened to find it by sheer luck, but I ended up removing both of those straps and keeping them in my gear bag as they are not something that I will likely use.

I wish that the pack had pocket for a water bottle on the outside...but I attached a nylon/velcro water bottle holder on the waist belt strap which worked quite well. 

The pack is very simple and straightforward.   If you want a pack that has tons of organizational pockets, this is not for you.  Most of my odds and ends (nippers, dry fly floatant, tippet, etc) are kept on my Goetzen Lanyard, so I really didn't miss the exterior pockets as much as I thought that I would.  The hip belt is basic and comfortable, and the buckle seems quite well made.   

I'm very impressed with this pack.   Although I haven't had it very long, I've put it through some hard use, and it seems to be well built.  I will keep you posted on how is continues to perform in the long haul.


BDF uses a three tiered gear rating system for gear reviews.

Dry Fly =       Great Product
Emerger=       Good product with potential
Nymph=         Could use improvement  

The Patagonia Storm Front Hip Pack earns Dry Fly status.

  

The Gunnsion Trip-2013

I've posted in the past about our annual trip to Almont, Colorado to fish the many rivers in that beautiful part of the state.  This year, we were able to have all seven of the regular group attend.  The fellow who coordinates the trip, Dave G, keeps us appraised of the countdown of days to the trip throughout the year, and during the week leading up to the trip, breaks it down to the hours and minutes.  This trip is eagerly anticipated by all, and when the time arrives to actually leave, it can seem surreal, since we have been looking forward to it all year.

On the day we leave, we wake up very early, meet at the same coffee place, then drive 5 hours straight through the mountains until we arrive in the town of Gunnison, and grab a bite to eat.  After eating, and grabbing a few supplies, we head to the river, and start several days of fishing from dawn until dark.  We always stay in the same series of cabins, which offer nice creature comforts at the end of the day.  Although we like to think of ourselves as a hardy group of outdoorsmen, the days of sleeping in the back of a truck are mostly behind us.  Having dinner in a modern cabin, and sitting on a deck overlooking the river at the end of long day of fishing seem to make the trip even better.

Many of you read Al's blog noconympher.blogspot.com.   As always, Al was on the trip, and has some fine posts about the experience.  BDF had a great time fishing with him, and I encourage you to check out his blog.  Al caught a ton of fish using an obscure fishing method called "nymphing".  He also ties a famous fly nicknamed ABU that seems to catch a lot of fish, no matter who uses it.  There were a couple times when we were both fishing on opposite sides of the stream with our prefered method of flies...I'll leave it up to the reader to guess which is more effective. 

 I will do a series of posts about the trip...focusing on different aspects of the experience, including several gear reviews.  There is nothing better than a multi-day, hardcore fishing trip to truly test out a piece of gear.

The trip was filled with good times, good friendship, and good fishing.  Dave G fished Tenkara for the first time, and learned the value of keeping his equipment with him,  Bryan V caught big fish on a Scott fly rod, Joel T hammered the trout on his famous "Copper Joel".  Jim B and Pete kept the pressure on the fish as well.

 As always, going through the photos make me wish that we were still in Almont.   I just have to open Dave G's latest email to see exactly how many days remain until the next trip...

 

Being prepared...Fly-Fishing or at home

As you may have noticed, I'm a big fan of great gear.  I like to try new stuff out, but I appreciate items that are quality, and will last a long time.

Recently, a bad storm hit my house.  When I arrived home to inspect the damage, I found several inches of hail covering the yard and house, and plenty of debris and damage.  I needed to figure out what needed to be done quickly, and I grabbed a flashlight that I had just received to help me see in the darkness.  This light worked perfectly in the wet weather.  It's something that I didn't have to think about when using it...I just expected it to work well, and it did.  One of the nice things about the light is the adjustable hood near the bulb.  You can easily change the beam of the bulb.  It truly is an intense light that reaches quite a distance.  I was lucky, my house can be repaired, but it was a good reminder that you never know when trouble can strike.

The light is called the Logi Flashlight, and I received it from my long time good friend David.  Dave is a dedicated fly-fisher, and also appreciates solid, compact equipment that works.  He recently started a website that specializes in equipment that can be used in preparing your emergency response supplies.  The company is called BETTERCERTSUPPLIES.com, and I would encourage you to check it out.  Being prepared is something that we sometimes forget to do!  At the very least, you can add a flashlight to your fly fishing gear bag like I have.  I can see using this light for a long time.

Check out the site at  http://www.bettercertsupplies.com/

Here is a photo of my light.

Steelhead on a 5 weight rod

I learned to Fly-Fish when I lived in Michigan.  We spent alot of time up on the fabled AuSable and Muskegon river fishing for trout.   I've got great memories of trips to those waters, and we caught a lot of wild trout.

There is a saying in my industry that you are only an expert if you travel 100 miles from your home city...and that phrase was relevant to when I lived in Michigan, since I lived on the banks of a great steelheading river, the St. Joe.  At the time, we were just interested in glorious little trout, and mostly ignored the river right in front of my nose as we drove to the other rivers.  Over the past few years I wonder what I could have caught if I had spent some time on the mighty St. Joe.

Well, I don't have to wonder any more.  One of my long time friends still lives in that area.  Marty has been an avid outdoorsman for years, but only recently became truly obsessed with flyfishing.  I enjoy getting reports from his latest fishing success.  Unlike what I failed to do, Marty is spending a lot of time fishing the Steelhead that swim in the local river.  He sent me a couple of photos from the last few days which make me realized what I missed...but I'm truly glad that he is taking full advantage of the opportunity!  He has quickly developed into a world class fly-fisherman!

Yesterday, Marty landed a 34 inch Steelhead as seen in this photo.  Amazingly, he caught the fish on a 5 weight fiberglass rod!  Marty said that the fish took him into the end of his backing at least twice, but that he finally won the battle and landed the massive trout.

I'm truly impressed, and glad Marty has been fishing those waters.  The next time I head back, I'll make sure I stick a rod in the suitcase!

Big dry flies in the rain

Last week I took a few hours to check out a new section of my favorite local river.  The weather forecast called for rain, so I was able to properly prepare by bringing along some of my Filson foul weather gear.  I'm glad I did, since it poured just about the whole time I was on the stream.  I was fine with that however, since there was no lightning, and the mountains need the moisture.

I tied on a big Cicadia pattern that the folks at St. Pete's sold me, and found that it was of great interest to the drenched trout.   I also had luck with a ABU midge that I used as a dropper from that big dry.

It had been awhile since I fished this river, and I really felt like it was a return home.  I hiked into a stretch that I had not fished before, and really enjoyed the solitude I found. Even though it is the middle of summer, the day felt like a fall day.  The temperature was in the 50's, and the skies were grey and full of rain.  Fall is one of my favorite seasons, but I'm glad there is still plenty of summer left.  Hopefully you are able to hit your favorite stretch of river soon with your favorite dry fly pattern!

Tenkara-and a big dry fly

Several years ago, my friend Morty Mortenson of thefiberglassmanifesto.com joined a group of us on our annual fly fishing trip to Gunnison,  Colorado.  I remember that we were fishing a stretch of the Taylor River, and Morty pulled out a strange looking rod with no reel.  He explained that it was a Tenkara rod, which is part of a fly fishing system based on a traditional Japanese fishing method in which a fly is fished from a flexible rod with no reel.  Morty was really talking the system up, and I decided to give it a shot, as strange as it seemed at first.  Morty had tied a wet fly on, and on my first cast, I caught a trout.  It was an interesting concept, yet I really didn't get into it right away, but the seed was planted.

My friends, noconympher.blogspot.com, JT, and BV, and DG were present as well, and all took a polite look at the rod.  It was an interesting concept for sure, but after Morty traveled back home, we really didn't examine it further right away.

Morty had planted a seed, and during the last couple years, Noconympher and JT purchased Tenkara rods, and have become passionate advocates.  As you have probably seen on noconympher.blogspot.com, they have fished many bodies of water, with great success, using Tenkara.  BV scored a Tenkara over Christmas as well, so I knew that there was something to it!


After hearing, repeatedly, how great it is to fish Tenkara, I started to think about it again.  Recently, Morty graciously sent me a loan of one of his rods, the 13 foot AYU model.  Tenkara is a telescoping rod that is very compact, and fits into a very small rod case.  As you can see in this photo, I can stick the tube in one of the pockets of my Fishpond bag if I wish.  With no need for a reel, it is a very compact and efficient fishing system.

Last week, while visiting Estes Park with the family, I had about 30 minutes to fish.  Normally, it would take a while for me to gear up with the reel, line, etc.  With Tenkara, all I needed to do was extend the rod, attach the leader and big dry fly, and I was ready to fish.  I fished right in the middle of town on the Big Thompson, surrounded by tourists.  With Tenkara, there is obviously a much shorter line, so I didn't have to worry about my backcast snagging the wig off of an unsuspecting visitor from another state.

 The Tenkara is a pleasure to cast in tight water with trees and bushes, and can make a fine presentation of a big dry fly.   I quickly caught my first trout on the Tenkara, a fiesty brown.  It was no trouble bringing to hand, and after releasing it to the cold mountain water, I quickly collapsed the rod, stuffed the small rod tube into my bag, and met the family at our favorite local restaurant for dinner.

The Tenkara may not be for every fishing application, as I have seen JT standing on the edge of the Gunnison staring at a 25 plus inch trout cruising away with his fly.  However, I've seen JT and Noconympher catch plenty of big trout on Tenkara, on all sorts of water.

I've really enjoyed the time that I have spent fishing Tenkara.  Although I will continue to fish my other rods, Tenkara really fits a need that I have.  A very compact system that will catch fish at a moments notice.  It is a great rod to keep in the car, or take on a trip when you have limited space.  You will catch fish on it..I'm now a believer.

 

BDF uses a three tiered gear rating system for gear reviews.

Dry Fly =       Great Product
Emerger=       Good product with potential
Nymph=         Could use improvement  

The Tenkara rod earns Dry Fly status.


For more information, check out tenkarausa.com

Santa on the riverbank, and a Happy Fourth of July

Today we spent some time in the scenic mountain town of Estes Park.   We happened upon a jolly fellow walking along the banks of the Big Thompson River, which is a fine trout stream.   As it is the month of July, I inquired as to his current mission.   "Vacation, my dear chap", he said, "What are you doing?".

It seemed like a fine answer to me, and I imagine everyone needs a break.  I know that the Flyfishing companies are soon to release new gear at the big show in order to keep him busy during the Christmas season, and walking along the banks of a trout stream is a fine way to relax.   After all, there are only 174 days until Christmas!

In the meantime...enjoy the Fourth of July, and the tremendous country that we are blessed to live in!  

Abel Nippers-Product Review

Nippers tend to be something that you take for granted on a trout stream...until you need them.  It seems as though they would always be dull, or missing when I frantically needed to cut my nymph off in order to tie on the right big dry fly in the middle of a hatch.  Last fall, my friend Morty gave me a set of nippers made by Abel Reels.  The set I was given was hand painted in brown trout colors, and attached to a handy lanyard.

These nippers are outstanding.  In the past I always used an inexpensive set, but experienced the problems described above.  The Abel nippers are not only a work of art, but they are are built like a tank, stay sharp, and if you use the lanyard, are always where you need them.

If you are looking for nippers that will last for a long time, check these out at your local flyshop, or at http://www.abelreels.com/store/Abel-Nippers.html 


As you might recall, BDF uses a three tiered gear rating system for gear reviews.
Dry Fly =       Great Product
Emerger=       Good product with potential
Nymph=         Could use improvement  

Abel Nippers earn Dry Fly status.

St Peters Fly Shop- South Location

Fort Collins is home to one of the finest fly shops in the country, St. Peter's Fly Shop.  When I first moved to Colorado, I remember going to the Old Town location and being treated like a long time customer and friend from day one.  The folks that work there are always happy to share advice, and have a knack for displaying that fly fishing item that you suddenly realize that you have to buy.

The Old Town location is housed in a historic building that gives true character to the shop.  A while back, St. Peter's opened a south Fort Collins location in a storefront after taking over another fly shop.

 Just recently, they announced that they had moved into another building at 2008 E. Harmony Rd.  I visited the new digs for the first time the other day, and was amazed at the location.   They have restored an old house/barn, and turned it into a beautiful fly shop that has to be seen in person to be appreciated.  Visiting both locations gives you a sense of Fort Collins history, which blends nicely into the history and tradition of this sport that we love.

Check them out at http://www.stpetes.com/

The Trout Snob...

I can be a bit of a trout snob.  There...I admitted it.   Don't get me wrong, I don't look down at those who fish other species...far from it.  But, I love fishing for trout, and don't spend a lot of time pursuing other species.

As my good friend Morty of The Fiberglass Manifesto likes to point out...I live right next to a lake that is full of fish.   I've fished the water occasionally for years, usually when the younger nephews come to visit.   They have always caught plenty of panfish and bass, usually on a spinning rod, and I have even taught them the basics of fly casting on these waters.  However, I've really taken it for granted, and haven't spent much time fishing these waters, frankly, due to the fact that they haven't held trout.

As they like to say in the business that I am in, "If you travel more than 50 miles away and try to teach something, you are considered an expert.  If you teach it in your home city you are just doing your job."  I imagine that this holds true for water.  It is easy to take something for granted that is right in front of you.  I drive past these lakes every day, often when driving to other locations to catch trout.   It seems like it might be time to focus on water that I can walk to.  I'll admit, the fact that trout were stocked in the lake might have made me a bit more curious, but I'm trying to be a bit more reformed, and target more species of gamefish.

So, this weekend I walked down to the lake to give it a try again.   The morning was clear, and the winds calm.  I watched fish jumping, and huge carp cruising the shore.   I had a very nice time catching panfish, and gained an appreciation for my home water.   I'd still like to catch some of the trout they put in the lake, but I was satisfied with the enjoyment of bringing fish to hand...whatever the species.

The golden hour

Last week I headed to a favorite mountain lake on two occasions.   During runoff, a trout filled lake is a great place to spend time, while the rivers are cleansing in preparation for dry fly season.

 

On the first day, my friend Dave and I were joined by Joe, who is new to the sport.   It was great seeing him catch trout during his first time using a belly boat.   If you ever feel like you take this sport for granted...fishing with someone who is just discovering this passion will remind you of what a special pastime this is.

Dave and I headed back up a few days later in order to fish the evening.   When we got on the water, it was windy, but the wind soon died down as we entered that golden hour of the setting sun. 
The trout started rising all around, and we had a great time hooking trout.  I caught my favorite fish of the day right as it was getting too dark to see.  I saw a few rings nearby, and cast my size 12 parachute adams in that direction.  I waited for a few seconds, then my fly disappeared and the fight was on.  As I released the trout into the water, and watched it swim away in the last glimmer of light, I took a moment to take in the beauty that was surrounding me as a I floated in the middle of a perfectly calm lake.   I then put on my headlamp and headed for shore.