LUNCH LINKS

How about a little Thursday linkage .... TOSFly Fishing Style -

1. A record breaking 121 year-old trout up for sale in Edinburgh in November .
2. This Steelhead has Antlers? Check out what these guys caught!
3. Musical Fly fishing. Do you have a playlist?
4. The fish of 1,000 casts - A trophy Muskie jumps into a Minnesota couple's canoe!
5. John Berry's Fly Fishing for Trout: Keep Illegal Angling off Dry Run Creek.
6. Cold Water fish Prescription: A Small Dose of Marabou.
7. Forbes Magazine discusses the best fly fishing gear - just in time for Christmas shopping.

Now ... without further ado ... a little eyecandy for your viewing pleasure:

This is a brown trout from a different perspective. This picture was taken by Angus Drummond Fly Fishing Photography. Check out his work by clicking on the picture above.

Enjoy your lunch!

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It's Worth the Work

As fly fishermen, we spend the majority of our time fishing rivers. Whether it be the freestone Elk River outside of Steamboat or the Dream Stream that winds its way between Eleven Mile and Spinney Reservoir, when one thinks of flyfishing it is always of a beautiful river. This article, however, is not about fishing rivers at all, but about fishing some of Colorado's majestic high mountain lakes. Fishing high mountain lakes requires a ton of work and dedication, but the payoff is huge.

I'll start with my favorite high mountain lake, No Name (and yes that is its actual name). It is outside of Vail, but that is all I am going say. The journey begins by driving up a dirt road that was clearly not made for normal automobiles to drive on. After bouncing around for forty-five minutes, it is finally time to throw on the packs and begin the climb. The hike in is only a mile and a half, but don't let that fool you. There is also a few thousand feet of elevation that is about to change. After winding your way up mountain goat trails and three different passes, you finally see this amazing glacier lake tucked away in a bowl somewhere in the Gore Range, with many fish just waiting to be caught.

So, I know what you are thinking, with all of this work, where is the payoff? My answer to that is simple: other than being surrounded by 13,000 foot mountains, and other than being the only one there, the payoff is the fish of course! These fish spend eight months out of the year under a frozen sheet of ice, and when that ice melts, they are ready to feed. There are two ways I like to catch the mountain cutthroats. First, in the morning when the sun first hits the lake, I like to throw a caddis (sometimes a hopper or an orange stimulator is great too) out onto the crystal clear water and watch them swarm at what they think will be their breakfast. In the afternoon, I switch to a streamer pattern and some sink tip line. I throw my fly out just beyond where the shelf drops off, let it sink, then strip it in. I don't know what is more amazing, catching the fish or watching it hunt down my streamer in that clear green water. I think high-mountain lake fishing holds a special place in my heart because every time I return, it is like catching up with an old friend. I hope I have painted a picture of how amazing high-mountain lake fishing can be. It can be a great option when you just want a change of pace or want to combine a backpacking trip with some flyfishing. Be looking out for another article to come where I will discuss the locations of some of the prime high-mountain lakes in our beautiful state.

With Love From Colorado,

~Kush

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MAY I PRONOUNCE YOU ROD AND REEL

Holla,

A year ago I began a journey to find the perfect trout rod and reel set up.... I have spent countless days on the water casting many different rods in my journey to satisfy all my casting desires. My search ended with Scott’s G2 9’ 5weight rod. On a later post I will bring you up to speed on my G2, but today I want to talk about something that many anglers neglect and that is the PERFECT reel.  Fly fishing reels come in all different sizes, shapes, and drag types, and each angler must know what he or she intends for that reel to do. The most important aspect of selecting a fly reel is the balance it provides to the rod, and this is where many anglers miss the boat. You can have a beautifully crafted reel, smooth drag, and esthetically pleasing reel, but if it throws your rod out of balance you will wear your hand out quickly on long fishing days. Back to the story... I bought my Scott G2 and tried many different reels on it, but something just did not seem right. As I continued to research I found that the reels I have been putting on this extremely light rod were just too heavy. The weight of the reel on the G2 was putting too much weight on the back end of the rod which made for unnatural motions during my cast. This quite honestly took away from the action of the rod.  All of this hard ache lead to the discovery of a beautiful thing... 

MAY I PRONOUNCE YOU ROD AND REEL!!!

This is the Waterworks/Lamson Litespeed. I discovered that the previous reels mounted on my Scott were just too heavy, and thus I stumbled on the litespeed. This reel only weighs 3.8oz, which is over an ounce lighter than my previous reels. I know, I know, its just an ounce right?? Yes you are right that it is just an ounce, but one thing every fly fisherman must get used to is, “the small things matter.”  The litespeed was an ounce lighter than my other reels, and when mounted on my G2 it created the perfect balance.  When balancing rods and reels, you want all the weight to fall on your thumb position on your casting hand as this will allow for an effortless stroke. The litespeed will make all eyes turn too as it has a sleek design for both modern and conservative fisherman, and the drag is smooth as butter.
Hands down, this is the perfect reel for my taste. I highly recommend visiting your local fly shop and putting your hands on this beautiful reel.

Until next time ...
Cast to The Other Side!


- J-Ferg

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Featured Angler: Hunter Hibbard

Hello all who share my affinity for fishing and filming - or at least watching. I would like to introduce you to the newest portion of our adventure: The Angler of the Month. Once a month I will be showcasing one angler's talents and skills shown by his... (or her) performance. This will not always be a new angler, but will always go to the most deserved. Who knows, find the TOSFly crew on the river - and you might just find yourself with a pig, and as the next Angler of the Month.

Angler of the Month

Featured Angler: Hunter from Seth Jewell on Vimeo.

Three weeks ago, the crew from The Other Side Fly-Flyfishing had the privilege and reward to teach a newcomer to our fair sport - Hunter Hibbard. We've all known Hunter for years, but this is the first time he's been fly-fishing with the crew... and his first time to fly-fish at all. He's been patient, diligent in his practice, and skillful in performance. Did he deserve this month's spot? Go to the 'Vids" section, or simply push play above, and watch the video to decide for yourself. Thanks for watching.

- Z-Will

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LUNCH LINKS

After you (hopefully) successful weekend on the river, give yourself a little time to reminisce with some Monday Link Love! Check out the latest and greatest stories in the world of fly fishing:

• Touching story about fly fishing and the bond between a father and son.
• University of Montana grad has published a fly fishing guide to the state.
• Patagonia North - No further explanation needed.
• Smaller trout are a trend this season in New Zealand
• Tiny bugs are disappearing from East Vail's Gore Creek. Should Colorado residents be alarmed about the impact this can have on fishing?
• Agencies have agreed to tackle the problem of traction-sand deposits in Colorado's Fraser River.

Now ... a little treat to help you get over a case of the Mondays:

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Egg-Suckers!!!

TOSFly readers, there are only 5 days left before the crew returns to the White for our annual late fall fishing trip. Being that now is the perfect time for egg patterns, rest assured that I will be throwing a lot of egg suckers. The leech pattern and the bugger patterns are very versatile specifically because they the angler tying the fly to put an egg on the front. Colors such as pink, yellow, or orange (really any bright neon color) work perfectly for the "egg" portion of these flies. 

We are expecting low water right now, so I will dead drift the flies through a run and then strip the flies back up in order to garner some attention from the bruisers. I have found from experience that brownies love to be aggressive, and they will attack any streamer if they are forced into a quick decision. Therefore, once that fly hits the water, give it a couple really quick pulls and let the fly sit for a second. As the fly begins to settle, proceed striping quickly and aggressively. This stripping pattern has proven successful for me. 

I love to throw streamers because when the fly is going off, the quick hit and tug from the fish make for an awesome catch. They are very simple flies to tie if you are familiar with the wooly patterns. The only add on is a bright color on the front of the fly. Like I said before, with all of the spawning going on around our area, throwing any sort of egg sucking pattern should yield a high success rate on your next trip. Luke will be sure to let you know how successful we are with these flies in his “Fish Food" column. Check in the "What Worked" section next Monday following our trip. In the meantime, take a long lunch, get some Folgers coffee brewing, turn on the music of your choice, and tie some suckers. See you on the river.

Blessed Waters,

chad

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Tailwater Tickets and Finicky Fish

Yesterday's outing to the Beaver Tailwater was a very eventful occassion. On the way to the river we nearly smoked a 6 point (instead of us taking the buck's life, the car in front of us tagged him with only enough force to hurt him, not kill him). Don't worry, the big guy scampered away with only a scuffed hide. He'll be killed in a week anyway by a hunter (gun season opens today). Further, we fished hard for 3+ hours seeing fish all around us. Chad caught one. I missed one (I was a little rusty on my hookset - don't judge me). But these things aren't even close to being the most memorable (albeit for bad reasons) event of the day.

Thursday, November 11, 2010 is a day that will forever live in infamy. It was supposed to be a good day; one filled with bro time and big fish. However, this otherwise pleasant day on the river enjoying the blessings of our Creator took a drastic turn for the worst around 11:30 A.M. It was then that Chud and I heard the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officer order us to come up and speak with him "for a minute." I know what you all are asking: "Did you run?" Well, I thought about it. My deliberations did not last long, however, since I was fully licensed, had purchased my trout tags, and was doing NOTHING WRONG (at least I thought). We therefore complied with the officer's request and began walking up the shoreline.

If you have never encountered a game and fish commission officer on one of your trips, you are lucky. I honestly think that these encounters are among the worst feelings in the world. Think about it. You are enjoying your favorite pastime, desperately trying to get on some  pigs, when the 5-0 makes you stop in your tracks. Seriously? I'm not hurting people. I'm not stealing anything. I'm fishing. What the freak could you possibly want with me? Now you understand my level of frustration by the time we reached the officer's truck.

So what was our offense? Fishing too close to the dam. Really? The officer then proceeds to tell us that the restriction is in place for the sole purpose of protecting anglers in the event of a water release. Well great. That means that I wasn't really doing anything "wrong" per se, there was simply a misunderstanding about where I was and was not allowed to fish. I thought, "surely in a situation such as this I will get off with a warning." WRONG. This guy proceeds to tell me that he was forced to issue me a citation since "he has a job to do." Give me a break. If your job is to enforce a restriction that exists solely to protect the anglers, at least entertain the idea of issuing a warning. IT SERVES THE SAME PURPOSE!!! You want anglers to know not to fish too close to the dam, then warn me and I won't do it again. Holy Moly!

On top of all the garbage referenced above, the fact that I didn't catch a single fish in our 3.5 hours on the river simply added insult to injury. The only bright spot of the day was Chad's catch, a 13 inch bow. Overall, not a good day of fishing, but no day on the river is a bad day, despite receiving a citation for an offense that is complete garbage. Chud and I got to spend time together; we got to spend time on the river; and we got to spend time with the Lord. I would say in the grand scheme of things our day turned out pretty good.

So, the moral of the story? Don't fish too close to the dam, and run when you see the warden (I am only kidding. Never run from a law enforcement officer). When you get out there this weekend, remember this, but more than that, remember to cast to THE OTHER SIDE! See you on the river.

- The Prez

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LUNCH LINKS

It's the end of the week,  and your mind is already at the river despite the fact that your body is stuck in that cubicle. Because your mind is elsewhere, your work productivity level will be next to nothing. So, why not wet your appetite with some Friday link action? Here goes nothing:

• Fly-Fishing Group Offers an Escape From the Hospital.
• It's almost time to start fly fishing for steelhead in rivers around Lake Erie.
• Tennessee anglers gain fishing access at Smith County Welcome Center.
• Wisconsin angler captures one world record and ties another with his 41.8 pound brown trout (It's not a fly fishing record).
• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has received 6 applications for vacant director's post.
• Arkansas is going to host a national fishing promo tour.
• Fishing report can be found on the Fish Food page with Luke Emert.

And now ... without further ado ... your Friday eyecandy. Enjoy:

Click the image above to be redirected to catch magazine.

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Reel Recovery: Be Well! Fish On!

Guys, I came across an organization that I want to promo for everyone here on The Other Side Fly-Fishing, both authors and readers. I've never interacted with these guys in any way, but I have been inspired by the work they do on and off the river. This organization is called Reel Recovery.

Reel Recovery is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 by a group of avid anglers who were motivated by their friend’s ongoing struggle with brain cancer. They were able to witness first hand how being on the river impacted their friend in a positive way, and they decided to provide a similar opportunity for other men battling this horrible disease.

Reel Recovery combines expert fly-fishing instruction with directed “courageous conversations” in an effort to provide men with all forms of cancer a unique opportunity to share their stories, learn a new skill, form lasting friendships, and gain renewed hope as they confront the challenges of cancer. Their mission statement is as follows: “The mission of Reel Recovery is to help men in the cancer recovery process by introducing them to the healing powers of the sport of fly-fishing, while providing a safe, supportive environment to explore their personal experiences of cancer with others who share their stories.” HOW SICK AWESOME DOES THAT SOUND?!!?!?!??!

Photo from a Reel Recovery retreat

These guys host regular events called Reel Recover retreats. Though only a few days long, these events can be life-changing experiences physically, emotionally, and spiritually for men battling cancer. These retreats are offered at no cost to the participants, and a maximum of twelve men are invited to participate. Reel Recovery actually just hosted an event outside of Flippin, AR that covered waters in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. I have no idea how this event went, but I am confident that it was FLIPPIN SWEET (pun intended).

So, how can you and I help? Well, in several ways. Reel Recovery relies on generous supporters to offer these retreats at no cost. We can all help these guys build the organization and serve more men suffering from cancer by making a financial donation, by contributing fly-fishing equipment, or by volunteering to help coordinate or staff one of their retreats. To find out more information, or to make a donation, visit their website.

Photos taken from Reel Recovery Website

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Fishing Report 11/11/10

It's that time of year when the air starts to cool off and the fishing starts to heat up. If I had half a brain I would of called in sick today...if you know what I mean. And now for our main event...The SPAWN! Brown trout are hitting the spawning grounds hard and if you're looking for a wall mounter now is the time to be fishing.

The white river is producing 100 fish days and the casual angelers are sitting on their couch drinking a beer watching Dancing with the Stars. So strap up and hit the river.

The browns are stacking in, and the bows are storing up for winter.

Guide Davy Wotton says the zebra midge is the go to fly and nymphs are producing big numbers. Sow bugs, olive scuds and streamers are also healthy choices. If fishing deeper water, throw on a smaller streamer and tease those browns until they can't take it anymore. If overcast, throw on the olive scud or sow bug. If you are forced to drift, the San Juan (of course) is producing miraculous numbers. Now...don't judge me, but if fishing darker water, don't be above throwing on a high vis egg pattern... as a last resort of course. Now let's get it on. Hit the river this weekend. Cast to The Other Side, and you'll have less bad days and more "Chad get off my leg we've only caught 50" days.

-Lukifer

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LUNCH LINKS

How about a little Wednesday link action to wet your appetites for this weekend?

• John Berry's Fly-Fishing for Trout: Kayaking the North Fork.
• A popular GA fly-fishing guide recently earned national recognition as a top angler from several national fishing publications.
• Field and Stream blog discusses music on the river.
• Vote in the About.com poll: Who would you rather go fly-fishing with? Oprah or Obama?
• Ed Godfrey writes a nice short story about the Brown Trout of the Chittenango River, New York.
• According to the Denver Post, Trout are all over Elevenmile!
• You have five more days to fish many California waters.

And there you have it folks. How about now you treat yourself to a little bit of eyecandy?

Gotta love a little Greenback Cuttie from the guys at Colorado Trout Hunters!

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Ole Faithful

My late Grandfather had a saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Terrible grammar I know, but when applied to fishing, the man was on to something. My Papa was a bass fisherman at heart and spent countless hours trying to figure out the perfect bait to entice the prey. I saw him pull out the biggest, ugliest lures you could find and somehow he would always catch the monsters. However, when the fish just weren't biting he would always go to the "ole faithful." For him it was the purple trick worm rigged Texas style. Now, if your like me there are good days and slow days on the river, but never a bad day on the river, and I like to chalk that stat up to my "ole faithful".

For Arkansas trout fishermen it's sometimes difficult to peg exactly what the fish are feeding on. Some days you might tie on 25 different flies before getting a nibble. When I'm losing confidence in my selection there is one fly that always comes through for me. The "San Juan Worm" (above). I've experimented with different colors and I've found the best color is blood red or wine color. There are a hundred different ways to rig this money fly, so I'll leave that part up to your creative mind. Confidence is key on the days that are slow, and a confident fisherman always catches more than a frustrated fisherman. So, next time you're on the river and the action is just not where you'd like it to be, throw on your "ole faithful" and see where your luck takes you. And of course cast to The Other Side, and you'll have less bad days and more I can't wait to show my friends these pictures days!

-Lukifer

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Norfork 2009

Kush-Kush - bittersweet. Bitter cold, sweet fish

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Beaver Tailwaters 2008

"Lukifer" gettin' ready to slay... or is that a knot?

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Norfork 2008

Beautiful Ferg, beautiful fish, beautiful...picture

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Norfork 2009

"Chud" Lee - One of my best, I must say...

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Roaring River, MO 2009

A cold day for Seth... worth it.

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Norfork, 2008

Beautiful 18" rainbow

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LUNCH LINKS

A little bit of link love on a Tuesday for some good mid-morning or early-afternoon reads:

• The CADDIS Fly Fishing Club, the Russellville Recreation and Parks Department and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) are partnering to bring seasonal trout fishing to Russellville.
• First-ever all-female team shares win at Cabela’s speckled trout USA event.
• Sky High News makes plea to preserve the health of the upper Colorado River.
• Bloody Run Creek in Wisconsin, a Class 1 trout stream, dries up and so does its supporters.

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