6/29/21. South Platte River

 I had a few hours to kill before meeting up with Brian so I drove to Deckers to try fishing the S. Platte River.  Perfect water levels, comfortable Temps.  Tons of pressure but I found a really good stretch that had very steep sides.  No action for the first hour but the water looked so darn good I stayed with it.  A few rises here and there and suddenly a caddis hatch started and there we rises all around me.  I could see 4 good sized fish in shallow water so I cast an elk hair caddis.  They'd run right up to it but abandon it.

Switched to yellow Sally but the big 4 weren't interested.   Cast further upstream winto a shallow riffle where I could see the tails of trout coming out of the water as they pursued I don't know what.   Fish on!  Then lost him immediately.   A few minutes later a sizable brown took the Sally.  Strong fight but he got free after a minute or so.

Another angler cam around the corner fighting a hefty brown.  I pointed hi. To the big 4 and he proceeded to catch (and release) all of them!  I haven't been humbled like that in decades.  He told me what he was using so I chose something similar from my box.  Fish on!  Lost him right away.  Moments later another strike, big rainbow with brilliant colors.  Fought him for a minute and he too wriggled free.  Exciting action for first outing g.

6/30/2021 Flagstaff AZ

 My son Brian and I drove from Conifer CO to Flagstaff AZ today so that we can have Habitat "topper" installed tomorrow morning in Prescott AZ at the AT Overland factory.   

Afterward, we will head back toward Conifer but likely camp overnight in the mountains.   We can see smoke from a forest fire and are getting more Intel about it from Internet.

 Ready To Launch!

6/25/21: All of my gear is now aboard the "Taco" (Tacoma truck).  I'm headed out tomorrow AM for the first of four hard days of driving.  Ready for camping, overlanding, fishing, hiking, and hunting.

If all goes well, I'll return in mid-September with stories and pics.  First task though is to go to Prescott, AZ where AT Overland will install a Habitat "topper" on my truck.  Then it will be time to beat it out of the scorching temps, on up to higher elevations in Colorado.

Striped Bass Near Mystic CT

June 14, 2021 with Joe Taylor and Lew Cannon

Joe Taylor bought a decent sized motorboat and offered to take Lew and me fishing for stripers off the coast near Mystic, CT.  Joe supplied everything: boat, fuel, rods, lures.  Lew and I brought snacks and drinks.  We went out to Sugar Reef started trolling.  After a bit, one of the lead-core lines down deep suddenly bent down with the weight of a striper on it.  Joe was piloting the boat and Lew, who was nearest to the rod, unselfishly motioned for me to take it. Both of them knew that I'd never caught a striper before and were supremely generous to let me have a shot at it.

Turned out to be a whopper - 38 inches.  Joe has been fishing for stripers for over 15 years and said that equaled his personal best.  Man, first at bat and I hit a grand slam!  For years, I've seen pictures of other people hauling in big stripers but now it was my turn. Truly, a bucket list item for me and I am grateful to my friends for making it happen.

Honorable mention:  Joe on the left, Lew on the right.

 

 6/13/21:  Fishing on the Farmington update.

Went to the big boulder across from the campground around 4:00 Thursday.  Only one other fisherman there.  Lots of bugs hatching but hardly any rises.  By 5:30, after-work guys started showing up and now there were five of us on the same pool.  See ya.

Black bridge in New Hartford was packed so for yucks, I tried Ovation.  Only one guy there down in the picnic area but plenty crowded further upstream.  Sun going down.  A few rises here and there.  Then more and more.  Not just popcorn, these guys are gorging.  Gobs of yellow bugs (sulphurs?) are hatching.

I switched from elk hair caddis to a yellow sally and started hunting a repeating, sizable rise next to a rock. Slippery wading, tricky to put a fly on target without my line getting sucked into the current by the rock.  Despite hitting the spot several times he wouldn't go for it.  Meanwhile, fish are porpoising all over.  Fish on!  11 inch brown, quite the fighter.  Got another after about 20 minutes, much bigger.  Lengthy fight but as I was about to bring him to the net, the zinger locked up.  In the second or two I tried to figure that out, he slipped off my barbless hook.  

Stayed a while longer but darkness was nearly there.  Despite the feeding frenzy, I could not get another one to take my offerings.

Last night (Saturday) 75 degrees, a few clouds, 5:00. Sooo comfortable!  I'd planned on exploring further downstream from Satan's Kingdom than I normally go figuring there would be crowds of weekenders.  Did a quick check of the honeypot and was amazed, no one was there; no cars, no fisherman. Exploring will have to wait for another day.  Honey pot remained uncontested for the rest of the evening.  Moderate hatch of sulphur and caddis but only a scant few rises.  Sun was beginning to set but direct rays were shining at a low angle into the water. 

I cast a Hendrickson out to the head of a riffle.  A large brown charged after it, clearly visible in the sunlight cutting into the depths.  Violent strike.  It's rare that you get to see the fish coming but it's what I live for.  I set the hook and felt the hefty weight of him but in an instant, he was off and hurried back to a hiding place.  Bummer, that would have been a really nice fish.

Hatches getting heavier now, sun is down.  This is usually the magic hour and while there were some rises, not much action.  I put a sulphur emerger on a calm spot next to a large boulder and a 7 inch brown pounced on it.  Further downstream, nearly dark now, took one more brown but a it smaller.  Not much honey in the pot this night but it was a perfect summer night.