Spawn

When All Cylinders Fire

March 27, 2012 by n.taylor 8 Comments

I have this tendency to become so focused on carp fishing that I often laugh at those who pursue trout in their free time. Chasing a simple trout around a river seems so mundane as the carp fisherman is avoiding hypodermic needles along a freeway.

As Greg and I experienced trout nirvana from sunrise to sunset I became a serious trout fisherman all over again. Streamers in the morning, nymph fare in the afternoon, and an outrageous dry fly session during “magic hour” sealed the deal. This weekend it was truly hitting on all cylinders, and I can’t wait to do it again. To all of my carp hardy friends out there I apologize, but a part of my heart is still on the bottom of the river…and not that river that runs through Denver.

Why Do Only Small Fish Like Me?

April 27, 2011 by n.taylor 4 Comments

Because I suck, as if that answer wasn’t obvious.

Rainbow

I’m pretty sure that if the weather was any worse this weekend then I would not have gotten out of bed. Relentless wind coupled with some snow, rain, sleet, wet snow, and some more wind made for a challenging “vacation”. Visibility was poor due to the precipitation and the windy conditions but that didn’t prevent my companions from getting some respectable trout.

So aside from my car of people Sean also met us up on the river to show us how it is done and help me perfect the nuances of fly fishing… like blood knots.

Greg and Sean

Once everyone else got out of the car and confirmed that I was not going to either blow away or freeze to death instantly I geared up and headed to the river. I will have to say that being a full time photographer for your party isn’t as bad as you would think. Among the dozens of skip job browns that we landed there were a few that had some pretty interesting colors which allowed me to pretend to have an artsy side. Chad, Sean, Greg, Jeff, and Mike all caught nice fish within an hour or two, which left the pressure of “skunk” firmly on my shoulders.

Brown Trout

Lucky for me there are still dumb fish in the eco-system and one of them thought they wanted to get a picture with me for the website. I was happy to oblige and so just like that, the skunk was off but I never stopped getting shit from everyone else on the trip. Carr caught a brown with some really unique coloring that I thought was pretty neat.

Between Mike’s chili and the BBQ that Chad brought from Moe’s we ate like kings at night. Honestly, without those meals I’m not sure I could have made it out of the house in the mornings. It was hard to get excited about fishing when you heard the tapping of the rain on the roof all night, knowing that it wasn’t going to subside the following day and you were going to have to stand in it. Then I would think about ribs with mac n’ cheese or pork and beef chili and I told myself that I might be able to make it through the next day, if only for dinner and the thought that big fish might like me.

Ribs and Wings

So It Begins…

February 17, 2011 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

The time of the year is upon us yet again. While Colorado is known for its famous tailwaters the real reason for its popularity might well be the spawning conditions that these tailwaters provide. With fish running out of reservoirs and into a dead end full of fishermen it is a rare chance for most people to bag a trophy trout.

Sites of the River

Spring and fall provide everyone with a chance to catch that “fish” that they have always wanted. While I will be the first to admit that I engage in this behavior I will also say that it is a little funny to think about what you are doing, it is quite literally shooting fish in a barrel. March is the initial start of the party and as usual I try to show up before all the cool kids arrive.

Indeed being one of the first to the party gives you some special privileges. VIP parking, preferred seating, and a quiet ambiance are all part of the special treatment for the early birds. This past week we saw lots of fish, I didn’t catch many, but my other cohorts did catch their fair share (cough, I hate you Spooner). We saw and caught several Snake River Cutthroats and while not native they might be my favorite hatchery product of the great state of Colorado. They look close enough to Greenback Cutts that they make me smile every once in awhile. I think maybe the fish are enjoying this warm weather as they were out in numbers and while there might not be mutant 15lb rainbows right now, it is still worth a trip, and heck, who can say no to all of those early bird perks?

Snake River Cutthroat