A bugle interrupted a few fleeting moments of silence. They had been at it all night. The bull worked across the frost laden meadow as fog rolled off the river. By mid day the temps would be in the seventies but at the moment the chill of fall was still thick in the air. The, Read More
Waters we know often bring more fish to the net. Time spent is rewarded in that way… and others. But new water offers an unparalleled sense of excitement. A recent road trip allowed me to sample some previously unfamiliar rivers in several states, and gave me a fresh taste of that old adventurous feeling. Each river, I was reminded,, Read More
We’ve been two days without a fire in the wood stove. Small shoots of grass are poking out amongst the brown thatching of last years growth. Patches of coarse grained, dirty snow can be found on north facing aspects, but otherwise the ground is bare and sodden. I’ve been expecting fish to creep from their, Read More
Temps soar towards sixty. Small patches of snow linger on the banks. For February it’s a heatwave. My sinuses are clogged and my head is in a fog. Sweat builds on my brow as the heat builds inside my jacket and crawls up my neck. Cold water lapping at my calves provides some respite, but, Read More
Blue green water, a little high, but lower than last week. It looked fishy. With a couple hours of light left it felt like we might have hit it perfectly. Walking back to the truck to gear up my buddy hollered. “Sounds like air is coming out of a tire.” Sure enough, there was, Read More
We wanted to get out of town. Even if just for a night, an evening of camping would do us all good. While snow was melting and beginning to loosen it’s grip on the high country many of our favorite spots were still inaccessible. Rumors of a perfect brook trout stream, nestled in a seldom visited, Read More
I’d been hearing it for weeks. Hushed reports from friends that it was happening. The talk became so pervasive it was clear it wasn’t a secret any more. The buzz was becoming unbearable. No matter how hard I tried the stars were not aligning. I wasn’t able to get in on the action. There are many, Read More
The sun dips in the Western Sky. Water rushes past but the river is empty. The boat hardly makes a sound as it is lowered into the water. No words are spoken as the boat is coaxed to a speed that matches the fly. All eyes are transfixed on one spot, filled with optimism, that at, Read More
“Alright Bud, pick a winner,” I said. Despite George Daniel’s best efforts, I often shoot from the hip when selecting nymphs. I have a handful of go-tos for each of my home waters, but once they’re exhausted, so too are my ideas. Sure, I roll rocks and I reason backwards from recent hatches, but, Read More
Certain places have a way of getting their claws into you. I didn’t know what to expect the first time I pointed my truck south from Rock Springs on Highway 191. Rumors abounded of big deer, pure Colorado cutts, and stories of bottomless draws where outlaws like Butch and Sundance disappeared from the law., Read More