In the rivers’ depths, trout do not always have the most cordial attitude towards one another.  The largest fish in the river grow to their dominating size due to the fact that they take advantage of the best areas within their home turf.  These areas or “pockets” provide the best food, oxygen, and shelter that a fish could ask for and they are not afraid to defend these treasured zones.

As a fellow angler, I can admit that these holding areas may be difficult to find and one may have to explore the most Narnia-ish trout water to find where the true monsters lay.   But once you find it and pull out the grand-daddy of all trout, your hook-ups have not officially ended.

Once you hook into Troutzilla and pull him out of his seat in the entomological-cafeteria, the other fish can not deny the opportunity to sit in his throne.  Thus giving you the knowledge of knowing where the trout are located and the opportunity to catch another, even if it may be a hobbit in the fish kingdom compared to the cave troll you just reeled in.

The pictures above are evidence of this theory at its best.  Both fish were pulled out of the same location only seconds after one another, and our little Rainbow friend decided to take advantage of Mr. 19in Cutbow’s  dominion while he was splashing around and visiting the territory of Catch and Release Land.

GenerationFly.Org SW Colorado Fly Fishing from Adam Reder on Vimeo.

1.) Cabela’s Three Forks Fly Rod, Reel and Line Combo ($74.99)

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2.) Cabela’s Three Forks Stockingfoot Wader ($59.99)

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3.) Cabela’s 900-Denier Lug Sole Wading Boots ($39.99)

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4.) Cabela’s Willow Creek Vest ($24.95)

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After reviewing the products that I have found to be inexpensive and durable, it may look like I am a sales rep. for Cabela’s.  Well I am not.  Cabela’s was the cheapest place to purchase fly fishing gear back in the day, and by the looks of it, their prices have remained the same.  I still use these products today, and if I am not, my friends and clients are more than happy to slip into any of these reliable fly fishing products.

(2.) Rocks: Rocks offer all three needs of fish.  They provide a place to take shelter from the current, while allowing quick access to food drifting along with the current.  Rocks often disrupt the water, causing an assortment of water flows and holding spots.  Fish in front, behind and to the side of rocks, for all these spots have potential of holding numerous fish.

(3.) Seam: A seam is an area of water where a slow current meets a fast current.  This difference is usually caused by an obstruction in the water such as a rock, a log or an island.  Fish prefer seams because of the combination of slow water to conserve energy and fast water for quick access to food.  Seams are easy to spot and are a prime holding spot of fish.

(4.) River Bank: River banks are a major holding spot for fish.  Most banks have foliage which provides protection and shelter for the fish.  Terrestrial insects thrive in riverside foliage and in return provide food to the fish as they often fall or get blown into the river.  The water on river banks is usually slower than the water located in the middle of the river or stream and provide great dry fly opportunities to rainbow and especially brown trout.

(5.) Joined Seams: Joined seams are an area of river where two or more seams come together and form one major seam.  They can be easily spotted for they often form a “V” on the waters surface.  As insects drift along with the current, they eventually end up in a seam.  So an area where two or more seams conjoin, means twice the amount of food in one specific location.  Fish are aware of these areas and often take advantage of the opportunities they provide.

The two hoodlums thought the best location for the shelter would be on the river shore, where the sand was soft and the river near.  They worked continuously for several hours, taking breaks solely for urinating and Little Debbie pit stops.   The shelter was coming along very nicely and the two “bushwhackers” were excited to test out their “perfect” survival shelter.  The sun began to set and night grew near.

With their sleeping bags in place and the cardboard box door closed, the two adventures were excited for their night spent under the stars.  The sky was clear and the weather sat at 75 degrees. Couldn’t have asked for a better night.

The two boys passed out simultaneously and dreamt of rainbows and brownies.  Or at least they would have if the sand spiders kept off their faces or if the temperature hadn’t dropped to 28 degrees in under three hours.

Accomplishing around 1 hour of sleep throughout the night, the boys abandoned the shelter at 6:00 a.m and walked 20ft. up hill to their vehicle were the abundance of spiders was far less and the internal temperature was far greater.

Lesson Learned: Survival shelters are for survival, not for fun!

This past weekend my father and I headed over to Meeker, Colorado in pursuit of the majestic wild turkey.  We hunted near the White River on BLM and National Forest land in unit 24.  This unit allows hunters to purchase a turkey license over-the-counter and provides a vast amount of land to bag a bird.  Although my bag remains empty, this hunt was far from unsuccessful.

How one determines if a hunt was a success or not can derive from a number of factors.  Some people believe that a hunt is only successful if they take down the animal in which they pursue.  Others consider time away from the house, time spent with family and friends or merely seeing wildlife as factors that contribute to a successful hunt.  My hunt was a success because I was able to explore new land with my father, stalk a wild merriam through the beautiful quakies and was able to enjoy the sight of seeing rocky mountain elk on every ridge that surrounded us.

The wind was furious, the weather was cold and the turkey were sparse.  Sounds like a miserable trip, but was far from it.  When situations stray from the original plan, I try to look at the positives.  Sure we saw few birds, but we were entertained with the elk and deer that confined us.  Looks like I just did a little pre-scouting for elk and deer season 2010.  Look Out Meeker, I’ll Be Back!

Friday 4-16- After class on friday afternoon, we headed up the Big T canyon and fished around half way up (sorry, not sure what mile marker). Friday was cold (45 degrees) and drizzling rain.  We arrived at our location around 4:00 p.m and tried our luck with nymphing mainly because the dry fly action was absent.  My buddy caught a 12 inch rainbow on a double nymph rig with a Hares Ear lead fly and a midge tailing behind.  The trout bit the midge pattern.  After having little success on nymphs we decided to switch to streamers and wooly buggers and the action began.  The picture below shows the stretch of water where I presented my wooly bugger.  This spot produced 5 strikes in 8 casts.  This cold/wet day showed the most productivity with olive and black patterns in deep/slow moving pools.

Weather- 45 degrees /Cold & Wet

Area- Slow/Deep Pools and Eddies

Flies- Midge nymphs, Olive and Black Streamers and Wooly Buggers

Sunday 4-18- On sunday afternoon my roommate and I headed up the Big T yet again, but this time we stopped about a mile below the area we fished on friday.  He caught his first fish on a fly rod on this day and told me later that night “Dude, I cant stop thinking about fly fishing!” Well, there goes a few hundred bucks towards a couple fly fishing manufactures, damn, I should be a sales representative! Anyways, the nymphing action lasted all day from noon to five.  Since I tie my own flies I don’t really have names for the patterns we used, but they are shown below and they are similar to Copper John’s and Barr’s Emergers.  The green stone and the “Copper John” on the left were used as our lead flies and we dropped a mayfly nymph pattern about 12 inches below on 5x tippet.  We use a Thing-A-Ma-Bobber indicator and fished moderated to slow moving water.  The day produced constant strikes and 4 rainbows landed, although we had about 12 fish on. Dont ask!

Weather- 65 degrees/ Partly Cloudy

Area- Slow to Moderate Moving Water/ Pockets

Flies- Stone Fly Lead and Mayfly Nymphs Tailing

Through prior experience fly fishing rivers during high flows, I use the following strategies to catch fish during spring runoff.  A time when most fly fishermen are cooped up awaiting for the arrival of clear and steady summer flows.

• Fish The Banks- During spring runoff, fish migrate to areas of the river that offer slow and steady water.  These areas can be found on the banks of the river as well as near eddies.  An eddie is an area in a river where the water is swirling and causes a reverse current.  Fish prefer these areas because they reduce the amount of energy expelled due to slower moving water, while offering a great holding spot for drifting food.
• Use Streamer and Worm Patterns- Streamer and worm patterns are great flies to use during high flows because of their size and natural abundance.  High flows are caused by either excessive rain or melting snow runoff.  This runoff derives from all areas surrounding the river, which in return sends an abundance of easy meals to the fish who are eagerly waiting downstream.  Dead drifting a double rig setup with a streamer and worm pattern is a highly effective approach.  Also, swinging a streamer near the bank of the river is never a bad idea when fishing the spring runoff.
• Use Flash And Contrasting Colors- Dirty water is usually a complement to high flows, therefore decreasing the visibility of the fish.  Present patterns with extra flash to attract attention to your fly.  Florescent colors get the job done by creating attention and enticing a strike.  Contrasting colors also help the fish notice your fly and colors such as black, gold and chartreuse are vital.  These colors are my first choice when choosing or tying patterns and I never head out to the river without these combinations.

So the next time you head out to the river and notice that flows are high, don’t turn around and head back home.  Although the river may look intimidating, remember that the fish have to eat year-round in order to survive in the diverse conditions in which they live.  The fish in which we pursue do not hibernate in the spring due to high flows, and neither should you.

Slow Action: Rods that are considered slow action are very flexible and will bend throughout most of the rods length.  They are utilized when the angler is focusing on making short and accurate casts, for the flexibility reduces the speed of the line as it is being casted.  Slow action rods will are most useful when fishing small streams or small ponds, where long casts are either impossible or unnecessary.

Fast Action: Rods that are considered fast action are stiff and will barely bend when casted.  They are utilized when the angler is focusing on making a powerful and considerably long cast.  These rods are often used by anglers pursuing larger fish because the added stiffness helps when it comes to fighting a bruiser.  When fishing in high wind conditions, fast actions rods deliver a high speed punch, making wind a forgettable issue.  Large rivers or lakes are a perfect place to cast a fast action rod.

Medium Action: Rods that are considered medium action are fairly flexible and moderately stiff, the best of two worlds.  They are utilized by anglers who fish a variety of waters and conditions.  Medium action rods are useful for making short/delicate casts as well as long and powerful casts.  These rods are perfect for both novice and advanced fly fishermen because of their diverse versatility characteristics.  Simplicity in casting and overall usefulness makes medium action rods the most popular among todays fly fishermen.

When it comes to women, I often hear the analogy that my medium action fly rod gets more action than I do.  It’s true that my fly rod reels in more rewards than my cleaver (or ridiculous) pick up lines, but when it comes to trout, my fly rod is the jack of all trades.  Action is an important factor for the personal life as well as rod delivery, so the next time you head out to the water (or the bar) determine how much action is necessary to obtain a few hours or a lifetime of entertainment!