Foggy, wet & cold almost froze finger

I spent a good part of the day on the river yesterday starting out early fling and swingin flies to no avail.      Never say another fisherman or even a creel checker had the water to myself. The water temperature was up to 37 for the first time in weeks, but so was the water level running at over 1300 cfs. The three places that I usually hit and stood  knee deep were now almost waist deep or deeper.
 I did some nymphing under a indicator to start out with in the deeper holes and along the edges.
Then I changed out to a heavy Mow head and worked the water and thru the runs. I covered at least a mile or more moving up and down in one of my spots.
 Never getting anything other than a piece of wood off the bottom once and a rock maybe here or there.  
When I got back to my truck my jacket looked like I'd been in the rain. I poured the last of my coffee out of the thermas into my cup and headed home another day lost on the river. The fish will come bac to play again hopefully soon. My fingers will be working again and not so stiff. I know my casting will be better cause I got in a lot of practice once again.
Next weekend is the Super Bowl and I haven't miss catching a Metalhead before the game in a mighty long time, I just hope that they will return by then.

Rocky Ford Creek is always a challenge

Rocky Ford Creek 

Yesterday Gary and I loaded up and headed back to the Ford. The road and drive was clear sailing, just a few small patches of fog. We arrived about 9:30ish barely any wind to speak of. It was sunny and bright too bright for my likin. The air temp. 30 at arrival, but climbing the trails down to the water were frozen over from the snow the day before.
        As for the fishin yea. it was a lot of casting practice, for both of us again we both had some hook ups and got to play for just a short while. the closest that I came to using my net was once to dip out a 21 maybe 22 inch Steamliner Bow, but just as I went to release my net from the back D ring I slid in the mud fell on my ass extra slack in the line the waist bent the rod to much and it was LDR. I don't mind losing a fish that close to shore that I was going to release anyway. I just don't  like giving up the fly that might just catch his Buddies also.   We lost as usual a few flies to the cattails, weeds and fish and Gary found a fence that he love to cuss We didn't see many fish being landed lot more caught But only a few got put to net.  One Kid that was dabbin a fly just in front of fish finally got one to take and  almost got it to the net. An older gentleman got one almost to the net but he too lost it as he reached for his net to wet.. Gary was around the corner down the creek saw a guy hook two and came up to check my fly box to see if I had something to match his bug.
Gray's line had some problems and was done for the day, I decided to cast a few more times before heading up. The coming back up at the end of day 3 ish it was up to 46 degrees and trail Slick falling down and sliding bacwards slick. I know landed on my ass once picking up someones pop can. I didn't see Gary fall or if he did he never said anything about falling.
    Guys/Gals I know I say it a lot PLEASE Pick up your trash, DON'T leave your spent leaders,                                 tippit, and trash behind you packed it in pack it back out.

Bug TyinTime

   Yes the last few snowy day I spent a lot of time in my little room with the tunes turned on and workin the Vice, Bobbin, and materials over. I have come up with a new way to build my Extended Body Flies. and here is a early preview.

 <    Ext. Body Caliba. Silicone body
            will never need floatant
#18 scud hook
gray thread
made silicone body with tail fiber
Wing.... Z Yarn
Hackle tyed between hook and body

     
     < Silicone tail & Foam body tyed on #18











For more info on these and many others $30.00 per doz.  Putmbac Costom Flies 360-391-0242

Rocky Ford

We made it through back country and the fog. When we arrived to wind was cold and blowin  just a bit from the west. We passed the north end the parking lot had a couple of rigs there, the middle section had  6-7 rigs so we headed to the south end bridge end and it only had 1 rig. The south end bridge is closed off  which was OK by all of us that put the wind to our backs. After getting suited and rods put together.
   We made it to the water just before 10 with the three of us spreading out the first place that I could lay down a 30-35 foot cast I did.. With just a short drift my line went tight as Gary and Rich watched the pretty little bow took a jump and spit the tiny hook bac at me and was gone. I hadden even told them less than 5 minutes before not to try to set their hooks to fast, and here I was the one doing it.
    Gary had never been here before so it was all new to him. After he saw me hook up so quick the grin on his face was like an orphan kid having his first family Christmas. all smiles. Thinking that this is going to be easy pickings. HAW !!
   With me having the only net and the spyglasses to tye on the tiny flies we stayed fairly close to begin with but as time passed by we slowly moved farther away from each other.
The fishing was tough and it stayed that way all day. I'd gotten a few more bumps here and there and one other hook ups. and got broke off in the weeds across the creek. Around noon I walked back to where Gary was to see how he was making out, He had a big tangle in his line so I gave him another leader tyed on some tippit and new bug. Left my gear with him and went and talked to Rich.
  Rich was doing about the same as us a few hook ups some back cast lost flies to the weeds, but nothing that could be landed. It's tough but a blast.
I took the short walk up to the truck to grab some water, Cliff Bars, and my dry fly box. There was a bit of Midge hatch going off every now and then with some fish surfacing. And to me there is nothing better than tying into one of the mighty giants on a # 22 dry.
The sun tried to pop out every now and then but never really made it out, But it was warm enough in the upper thirties may have hit just over forty, and the wind calmed down to nothing at times. We could see some nice fish cruising when the wind let up and the chopp was gone the water was crystal gin clear.
    After we chewing down  the Cliff Bars and washing it  down with some water we were back at getting our casting practice in. I walked back up to where there I watch all the rings forming in the water with the lips poking out or the large fins, cut off my Nymph and tried like hell to tye on a #22 midge dry.
   By the time I got it all together the rings had disappeared and three other fishermen and an lady carrying her boyfriends extra rods were across the water. She didn't look to happy about it either.  He was flogged the water with a huge bobber for five minutes before moving on.
I miss my chance the fish were gone to quieter waters, So I walked up the creek and found another pocket of water set out my line and the first fish the hit my dry just looked at it and took one just past mine. After fifteen minutes of refusal my bubble was popped and I went back to my nymph (bloody midge) without a indicator casting up stream with a slow retrieve. BOOM Fish on felt good adrenalin was down and I paid close attention as to what was going on and didn't let it get to the other side and into the weeds, slowly it came closer and closer to me.I reached around to my back with my left hand and pulled the net free and scooped it out of the water. Just tooo Bad it was not the 20 inch fish I needed. But it was a football.
 Not the biggest or the smallest fish that I've put to net here at the infamous Rocky Ford Creek. Tho it did make it worth while for me to do the four hour round trip, The only thing that would of been better would be to have netted one of the bigger fish in my net for Gary on his first trip or for Rich it had been many years since he had been here. The three of us have vowed to come back more often. I make the trip here at least three or four times a year mostly in the winter when I need that tug fix when the River is either froze over or to hi for me to be safe.                          }><)))'>
Rocky Ford is always a challenge for me thats why I love it so. There has been times where nothing I did was right fishing the same thing same way as in the past or as the guys either above or below  me where  getting all the fish and times where it didn't seemed that I could do anything wrong, Yes I admit I've been skunked here before and days that have been epic Like last year on News Year's Day.  On the water by 10am and off the water at 2pm with 34 degrees out a light fog hardly any wind and 14 fish in the net. That is a day that I will always remember.
PLEASE PICK UP ANY TRASH YOU ENCOUNTER, DON'T CLIP YOUR TAG ENDS AND LET THEM FALL, PUT IT AWAY WHERE YOU CAN DISCARD  PROPERLY FISH OFTEN, FISH HARD AND TAKE A BUDDY

 The epic day last year. I had to trade off one of my fish catchen flies to get this picture taken. Size 22 scud. Then I had to tye it on his line for him, only to hear a few minutes later " ah Shit I lost it" and maybe I could get another one from him. and yes I did give him another one and tyed it on for him. 

         So far I have not meet the requirements to stay in the 20/20 Club  20 inch plus fish on a size 20 or less
BETTER LUCK NEXT TRIP  can hardly wait!!!

Time to get ready to go hit Rocky Ford Creek

  Well it looks like Rocky Ford is on the menu for Tuesday the 6th. Gary, Rich and myself will be making our first trip of the year. I usually make it there on January 1 of every year but this year after looking at the weather report and for the hi of the day was only 23 and the day started out at 8. I blew it off and stayed home to whip up some new bugs to work. I've tyed enough for the three of us the weather is supposed to be better on the 6th. the lo in the morning upper 20 with light wind  Highs in the low 40. 
Last January 1/1/14 caught on an # 20 brown scud each fish taking more than 20 minutes to bring to the net.
I'm really looking forward to another GREAT YEAR OF FISHING and telling you all about all the awesome fishing and the guys and dolls that go with me.

I know, I know, It's been a while the Rivers have been up and unsafe for me anyway, not to mention BITTER COLD

    Haven't done much fishin lately. The rivers came up high, and then froze over for a while and stayed high for this time of year. I've been down there a few times, but didn't fish just went to spend some time watchin the river flow.
 I am getting alot of tying done. After cleaning out my fly boxes. The ones I have set up for the lakes I hit the most like Chopaka, Big Blue, Aeneas, Davis, Long, Lost, the Twins, Buzzard, and Omak. Then I started tying up the Creek flies. Hoppers. Beetles, Stimulators, Caddis and my favorites small BWO's and midges.
 
I've cleaned up my fly lines, checked and cleaned my reels, gone over my rods checking for any flaws in the finish, cleaned the guides, corks and reel seats.
Here is the way that I clean my fly lines:

1. In a 5 gallon bucket filled 3/4 of warm water put 5-6 drops of dish soap. (doesn't matter what brand
2.  I start by removing any leader, if I have butt section tied on to the end of line instead of a loop I'll cut it off and seal the end with either Loon's UV Wader repair or Loon's UV Head cement.
3. Start striping the line off the reel and laying it just on the inside rim of the water as to not let it get all twisted up, all the way to the backing.then I have an old dinner plate that fits my bucket just about prefect, with a hole drilled in the center, with a I bolt thru it and a nut holding it in place.
4. When you get to the backing take the spool out of the reel housing and place on top of plate and slowly press down and lift a few times the I let it set for a while before I pull it out and wind it back on to the reel thru a piece of micro fiber cloth.
5. Then I'll repeat the same process again without the soap twice.
6. Last step is to condition the line, I restrip off the now clean line and I use Armoral  in a clean towel and put it back on the reel. 

I have tried other cleaners and they do the trick but cost a hell of a lot more. and you will be surprised as to how much dirt and grime will come off your line even on the second rinse. the Armoral will make your line slick so that you can cast feather and it will float higher, longer. and pick up less scum off the water.
On the lines that I didn't have a factory welded loop on I now know how to put on on and do not tye a piece of butt section anymore. ( Because most leaders now have that loop to loop connection)

2015 I plan to do some more traveling 

  To some of the some of the places that I have fished in the past Dryfall, Lenise, Nunnilly, Crab, Rocky Ford, Boulder Creeks and fish some Rivers Skagit, Skykomish, Bogachiel, Sol Duc, Queets, Grande Ronde and the Clearwater, Go hit the Salmon, Elk, St Joe  Rivers in Idaho.

There is three of us that are working on going up to the Kamloops area the first week of June to fish 4 lakes in 5 days will see how the plans turn out for the year