Live

New Site!!!

2009-06-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone this is my last post on blogger...I have created a new and improved site, which have my latest posts: http://www.xstreamoutdoors.com
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Thanks,

Travis

Local Pond, Bass, Blugill = Happy Kids

2009-06-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

With a short break in the weather on Sat my little bro called and asked if I would take him and our little cousin to their favorite pond. I had just gotten back from a wet biking trip up the canyon with my wife, so with her approval, I grabbed my stuff and headed to pick them up. It was a great to get out and see how much they both had improved. They slayed the gills and were surprised with a bass every once in a while. After a short few hours the clouds moved back in and the rain once again closed our activity.

Over The Mountain...

2009-06-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

Got an invite Fri night from my best friend to fish with him and his bro on one of their favorite close by small streams. After hearing that the water was running clear, I was in and just had to get the ok with the wife. When we got to the river early Sat it was running high and muddy...Suck!!! I hung out for the first 45 mins watching Scott wrestle a little Cutt and enjoying their company. As we moved higher up the canyon I almost threw the fishing aside (since I had my bike) to hit a Mtn bike trail I have on my hit list. As those guys stopped, I decided I would go ahead in search of clear water and hopefully some rising fish. My wondering lead me over a Mtn and down into a valley with a little fast running clear stream. After 1hr of teasing little cutts on big flies, I decided I better check back on the rest of the group. When I got back they were gone, so I decided to try the other fork and after doing a little 4X4, I found myself again over the mtn. in a familiar canyon I had fished when I was a kid. After cruising down the canyon, I noticed the creek was running clear and perfect. I stopped at a fishy hole and was rewarded with some feisty little browns. As I moved up the creek each hole held a surprising amount of fish for the size of the creek. I only made it about 100 yrds up the creek before I decided to call it a day and just hangout by the riverside enjoying the beautiful spring colors, bugs, birds and everything else that makes small mtn streams special. It was a good day...

Off Water and On the Mtn

2009-06-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Most people go to the Squaw Peak overlook to get some action...Well that's what we kinda did ,but in a different way...The Squaw Peak Biking Trail is one of my favorite DH biking trails. It is ridiculously fast, slick, and technical, just perfect to start the year off.

Pictures taken of Kade S, Brett, Brett A. and Travis

Youth Fishing Program "Hooked on Fishing"

2009-06-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the kickoff for the annual Highland Youth Fishing Program "Hooked on Fishing". We had over the 50 kids limit who we registered. It was awesome to see that some invited their friends and siblings because they were excited about fishing.

The program is 3 weeks long, ever Tues and Thurs. It consists of a short lesson. For example: Casting or some other fishing technique. Then the kids get into groups and work on what they learned as they fish the Highland Glen Pond with their instuctors.

My group of kids this year is awesome they are funny, fiesty, and just fun to watch. We had a great time yesterday catching little bluegills and was just out of reach of the rainbows and cats...Guess we'll have to work on our casting for next week. I can't wait until I am able to take my own kids fishing, so to everyone that has kids take them fishing or join a great program like this and enjoy the rewards.

Herold Link: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_858e08e8-4b51-5da8-a8db-377c03a7c360.html

Unwritten Rules of Fly Fishermen

2009-06-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple days I have been keenly interested in the subject of why fly fishermen have the ethics and values that they do and how they got them. I want to write out some of the findings that I have surfaced from my own unwritten rules to others and why they fish the way they do.

So in the next few days I am going to compile, research and then try and post up something that makes sense.

Here's a sneak peak:

Question One: Fishing or Catching/Slayin or Chilling?
Question Two: Fishing for Pre or Spawning Fish?
Question Three: Fishing Methods?
Question Four: Picture or Not?
Question Five: Who decides what is right and wrong?

Honestly the more I think about all this the more I realize it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I am happy in what I am doing at the moment.

Travis

Chapter 2: The Frenzy Went Big in 09...Best BIG Fish Stories

2009-05-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

It isn't an understatement to say that this year we went BIG on the Frenzy. When I say big, I mean fish caught that brake the famed 20 inch trout mark or that came really close. But who cares because catching a trout that size is just cool, if it has an awesome story...Plus it grows an inch ever time it is told anyway. I'm not going to go into too much of an overall write up because I want to share each story as they are all very unique and just down right amazing experiences.

On Top At Daniels
We Started the trip with a little stop-by at Daniels Res. (Hoss's Idea) The plan was to fish for about 30 mins and see if we could get at least one good fish before we got to Rexburg and Rainbow Lake. My first thought was it was going to be tough to hook up from the shore with not much cover and not much room for a back cast. As I worked down the dam I noticed in the far corner some rising fish and a big fallen tree in the lake. From up high I could see a nice bow working on the edge of the fallen tree. I casted my bugger in front of it and just like a shallow wise fish it gave me the fin and was gone. After the wind died a little I noticed some gulpers about 20 yrds in front of me. Knowing it was already time to go and everyone was at the truck. I dropped my gear and ran to the truck to get my floating line set up. I told them I might have them figured out and ran the 400 yrds back to my spot. On the first cast with my midges a big 20 inch bow grabbed my emerger and I was into my backing within seconds. After getting my line over the fallen tree and running to the far corner of the dam I was able to bring the beautiful bow to the shore on 6X tippet. It was a great way to start off the Frenzy!

Chubbs Monster
As Hancey, Hoss and I approached a wet, cold Chubbs on the South Fork. He didn't say hi, but asked us in a weird voice "Hey you guys caught any big fish?" I don't no if we were shocked by the question or what, but we all kinda mumble yeah, we've done ok. Then he said "well I have" as he showed us his monster cutt before releasing it. We measured the Cutt to be a true 23.5 inches with a 12 inch girth and head the size of Jay Leno's. It was a true monster of a Cutthroat and the largest Fine Spotted I have ever scene. The Story behind this fish is that Chubbs had spotted a nice gravel bar behind some fallen pine trees. As he approached the hole he saw this fish flash. After switching set ups the toad hit a glow bug and the fight was on. Nice Fish Chubbs you deserved it bro.

Pardon the Interuption

Fishing Hebgen Lake with Mikey and Jordan we found ourselves drifting across a big bay in the middle of the day. Nothing much was happening, so Jordan started to interview me for the film we were shooting. As I was sitting on my butt with my legs hanging over the side of the drift boat trying to explain why fishing is important to life. In mid sentence I felt this jolt through my hands and down my rod. Almost losing my rod, I set the hook and and fought what ended up being my largest Hebgen Trout ever. The nice male Brown measured 21inches and was well worth the interruption.

Chonomid Lake-I mean Hebgen Lake

When we got to Hebgen we were hoping to fish the famed ice-out cruising trout with chronomids, but not much was happening on top, so we all drifted buggers until evening when the hatch was so thick we were eating as much as the fish. We still managed to pull out some pigs

Chubbs Bugger Bow and Jacks Emerger Madness

Hoss's Big Brown Caught in the Shallows

20 inch Bow 9 inch Fly

In Search for a Tiger Musky I threw on an over sized Perch Fly as the sunset faded and darkness settled on us. I didn't have any other strikes until my last cast of the day. I thought I had a nice bass until I tried to pull it into the boat and I couldn't lift it. After netting it I saw it was a trout and a nice surprise with the big fly dangling in it face.

Dave's Stoned Brown

It wasn't the largest, but I really liked this picture, so its in... Nice Pic Hoss

Madison Twins: A Story of Unwanted Water

There must have been 5 or more guys who walked right pasted a little back eddied that held 15 or more big hungry rainbows. It wasn't there fault the fish were hard to spot and it wasn't the best run in the area. (At least from the looks of it) Lucky for me, I took a good long look at the run and decided I would give it a shot. On the first cast I was hooked up, but lost the fish. After that the picky bows rejected my offerings. I got unto a better angle and switched to smaller midges (#20 Leroy Special) w/out an indicator. Within two casts I was hooked up with and landed 21 & 20 inch bows. My largest Madison bows to date...

Fat Buck 21 incher

Little Bro 20

Hoss's Madison Surprise

Hoss found his own secret run behind a nice rock where the bows were stacked up. He landed this nice bow on camera. Shortly after hooking himself and face planting going after one of Dave's fish.

Henry's Lake Opener

There's not much to say about this except that we caught and release a lot of big nice Cutthroats that day out of our boats and on the dock as we left. Here are a few of the 20+ers that we caught that on the opener.

"Just One Cast"

So After fishing all morning at Henry's we decided to take a break and get some grub at the cabin. Talking to Dave about the fish we caught, we decided we would stop by Henry's on the way out to Victor, since they left early and hit the Madison and weren't able to catch a HL Cutt. Dave, Hoss and I set out to catch a couple fish for them and be on our way. Since we only had 2 poles with us, I just hung out until I couldn't take it any longer. I asked Dave if I could just have one cast. He said sure since they had kind of stopped biting. I cast out, strip, strip, take, set. The water flew everywhere. This big cutt was mad and he showed it. After a splashy fight I landed this hog of a Henry's Lake Hybrid. (I didn't measure it but I would have to say it was around 22-24 inches) It was a dream come true and the one thing I wanted to do this trip. I gave Dave back his rod and said sorry about that.

Jake's Stripping Bow

I don't have a story to this except that he caught it on a big ugly articulated streamer on the South Fork on a rainy overcast day. Sweet Fish Jake!

Night Fishing

Caught out of Chubbs Victor house pond. Chubbs first caught Rudy in the eye lid then landed this big 22 inch cutt to finish off the night.

A Float to Remember

Dave and Mikey floated together from Veron to Chester on the Henry's Fork. When the rest of us were catching average bows these guys were rassling some beautiful HF bows. Mikey said this was his trip highlight.

Hoss's Hog

Dr G vs Mr Brown

You know there are those stories that get told over and over again, but they never seem to get old or lose their appeal. Well this is one of them. It all started on a little known stretch of the Henry's Fork that the locals call "Bubbleland". The water was raging almost three times it's natural flow and to top it off it was as brown as chocolate milk. The final obstacle was the wind. It seemed to be jealous of the raging river and added it own rage. I remember saying to myself, why are we wasting our time when there are some many other places close by. Since the main river was basically unfishable. I focused my attention to a smaller tributary that looked at least fishable. After catching a white fish and a giant sucker in the only fishable water. I decided that I would head back to a spot that I had wanted to go to earlier but was taken, by Dave and Hoss when we started. Mikey, Dave and I got there about the same time. I decided to take the lower run and Mikey the upper. After a couple casts I hooked up with a 4 inch little brown that I didn't even know I had until it was lanched on my back cast. (Top pic) The next cast Dave said "Get it out to the middle seem" It took me a couple shadow cast with the wind, but it was in the perfect spot. As my indicator drifted by me I noticed a twitch, my instinks set in and I set the hook. I felt presure but wasn't for sure what it was. Then it gave that glorious head shake and I knew I had a fish! It didn't do much at first except move back in forth in the fast run. I knew it was large, but didn't know if it was another sucker. As I put more preasure on the fish it took off like a Christmas sale at Wal-Mart. I remember thinking no way is it a sucker its way to fast, more like a bow. It ran straight up stream trying to lose me under the diversion dam than across and finally it gave me a chance to have some control, but it didn't last long. It was wise and it knew what it was doing. It wizzed by me and straight down stream in the main current. I'll I remember thinking is I am going to get spooled. After 50 yards into my backing, I said to Dave we have to chase him. As we ran after the fish we had to cross the fast run and luckily Dave was there to keep me balance or I would of been a goner for sure. I'll I could think as I was running was try and stop the fish before it is to late. So I tried one of the oldest tricks in the book. I released line in hopes the fish would think he was free and swim back up the current. It worked long enough to make up the 100 yrds of backing and get back up some of the fly line. As I applied presure once more to make sure it was still there. It went on another 50 yrd run and about 20 ft from haunting my dreams forever. I told Dave you have to get behind it. So as the athlete he is, he jumped over logs and rocks and got into our last poistion to net the oversized fish. When he saw it for the first time he yelled in excitement and I knew it for sure wasn't a sucker. But then I started to shake and the presure was so tense I was shaking from head to toe. Dave yelled "You got to get it over 5 ft" I said ok and started walking to the side. When it was finally close enough Dave reached out and netted it on the first attempt! It was over! It was like a worldseries game 7 and the Mets hit a walk off home run. Everyone yelled with excitement. Which brought everyone on the river over to see what all the excitement was about. It was truly one of the finest feets I have ever witnessed and experienced in my life.
Everyone was living in that one moment and was so excited to be part of it. My Brown measured out to be 25 inches and between 7-8 pounds. As I poped the hot pink san jaun out of its mouth I stopped and thought "This is what fly fishing is all about".

The Fly Fishing Frenzy 2009

2009-05-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

This years Fly Fishing Frenzy has been one of the best trips of my life. It met all of my hopes and goals and fulfilled some I didn't think possible.

Since these past 6 days have been filled with so many experiences and stories it is hard to combine them into one without missing something. So I think the best way to capture the memories is to break up the Frenzy 09 into a 4 chapter story.

Chapter 1: Big Hoss's Day Journal

Hoss gave a great summary of this years frenzy on a daily basis as the events happened. Each night after fishing for 10-12 hrs Hoss would post each days events and feelings on the frenzy site. It is a nice way to look back at what happened and how the attitude was at the moment as a tired fishermen tried his best to share the excitement to the world.

Click here to see Hoss's Posts: www.flyfishingfrenzy.com

Stay Tuned For The Rest of the Story
Chapter 2: The Frenzy Went Big in 09...Best BIG Fish Stories
Chapter 3: It About the Little Things...Things that are small, but mean a lot to the Frenzy
Chapter 4: The Whole Truth...The Complete Write UP of Frenzy 09
Appendix: What, Its Over? Lets start planning next years

Frenzy Count Down and Some!!!

2009-05-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

TWO days and counting until normal men turn into crazy freakish wild creatures roaming the hills of ID and MT in search of big trout and crazy fun... It is 6 days of pure Man-cation enjoyment at its finest.

In prep for the Frenzy I have added a couple new features to Corona...Check em out

Rainbow Lake Ready: No More Lake Rowing!!!

Secured and ready to go: Oar Holders

You can never have to much storage Sunset Tanning

The Wife, The Green and The Rainbows

2009-05-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

I go fishing a lot. Most of the time I fish I'm solo. Its usually easier and it gives me a chance to practice my own skills instead helping develop others all the time. And just maybe my long hours in the coldest crappiest conditions don't excite too many people either. There are times when I am the luckiest man in the world and my beautiful wife joins me for a day on the river. (That gives me an idea about my next blog rant, Fishing with Girls, Wives, etc...) In this particular case Liz and I made a deal. If I worked out and ate healthy with her all week, she would come fishing with me on Sat. I didn't even second guess myself. That Monday I was already planning on hitting the Green or the Berry if the ice was still around for the weekend. As the weekend grew near the Green was looking hard to beat. So on Sat morning we packed up the Jeep and headed northeast in search of hopefully some BWOs, Midges and most importantly some good quality time together. There is something special about going on trips with Liz, the lunches are always 100 times better, plus she makes the experience fun and alive. (She is that kind of person) As we got to the river around 10am I was shocked to see a half full parking lot, I guess the economy is even affecting some peoples time on the water. Today's fishing trip was going to be a simple easy going outing, but as we started our float I notice a couple fish rising across the stream. Better go see what going on I though, as I finally got over to the opposite side of the river I notice fish scattering everywhere. I said in an excited voice "Liz check out how many fish there are in this run" I think she was shocked to see so many fish in such a small area.

After anchoring the boat my first couple casts produced hit and misses on a dry-dropper rig. After a little thought, I decided to go with what I knew wouldn't spoke them, but would for sure produce some fish, at least I hoped. And that it did!!! It was the right set up for the right time of the year, for the right spooky fish. In fact I caught fish after fish, Liz joined in and reeled in a nice bow too. It was red hot fishing for bright colored wild Rainbows.

After a dozen or so 16-18 inchers I decided to target some of the larger fish I could see. The first was a very dark shadow about 20 ft in front of the boat. On my first cast to it, I noticed it followed my flies and when it turned back upstream they were gone. Set the hook I thought. I lifted what felt like a 30 pound anchor and the fight was on! This fish was wise and freakin fast, the old dark bow fought until he had had enough and gave us one good pass to bring him to the net. WOW, Its size grew 5 inches when he was in the net. It was the darkest steelhead like rainbow I had ever scene caught on the green. We nick named it the freak.

With one big fish to net I was back glassing the water for another. After a couple smaller fish, I spotted what I though was a sunken log in front of a big rock, until it moved after a something and returned in its feeding lane 50+ ft from us. My first cast was too short, but my second cast was right on the money. My line went tight and the water tossed like killer whale in the shallows. I had a huge fish on and I knew it. Luckily it went in front of the rock on a 100 ft run downstream and not behind. After letting up on the pressure the big beast turned and came straight back up stream and right pass the boat giving me a look and doubling the stress on another nail biting run. With only 6X on I didn't want to do anything stupid, so I took my time and wore the beast down until I finally got him to the surface. Liz reached out with the long net, but the beast wasn't done. 5 other attempts and I couldn't pull him up to the surface so Liz could net him. Finally I pulled a little harder and SNAP. Just kidding!!! Its a happy story. Finally I pulled a little harder and Liz got the net underneath him and in the boat. I was speechless...It was the largest wild rainbow I had ever caught on the green and prefect in every way. It was a magical time to share such an amazing experience with my wife and one we won't both live down for a long time.

It was this Big!

We could have stayed in that area and caught fish all day, but with two hours of non-stop fish we decided to move in search of other fish and a new scenery.

The rest of the float was was as I had planned, simple, easy going with a fish or two in each area I decided to get out and fish. I was hoping for a good hatch, but with the constant breeze and bright sun it just didn't happen, until the sun went down and we were just about off the river. Oh well, next time I'll stay out past dark and just kill them, but this time it wasn't about the fishing it was about spending time with my real true love, Liz.

Waking up at 5am calls for a mid day nap on the water.

Why do you think my last name is GILLespie

So made the rules about throwing and rolling rock at people and lesbows? Just wonderin

Ice Off Is On

2009-05-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

"Ice Off Memories"

Knowing that "ice off' doesn't stay around for long I made it a priority to get up and fish the berry as much as possible. Within 3 days the ice had peeled back 30 yards making it harder to fish from the shore. Knowing that I would have to fish blind, I decided to change that. I hiked up the side hill until I had a good look at the water below. Within seconds I spotted two very large cutthroats cruising the shore line. I sunk down the hill and with perfect conditions. (A little breeze picked up and put a riffle on the water covering my shadow casts) I stripped in and as my bugger approached the shore, I saw a big silver flash and a large cutthroat had rolled on my fly feet from the shore. I set the hook and with two head shakes the hook was loose. WOW, I though, that was sick! In hopes that the second fish was still there I casted out again. Strip, tick, hook set and a miss. One last desperation cast I thought, count to 5, strip, pressure, hook set, fish on! This fish was nice, it rolled, shook its head and tried about everything it could to brake me off. After the tug a war the beautiful 24 inch Cutthroat can to hand. After the sun went behind the mountainside my spot fishing came to an end. the remainder of the night was given to slot cutties and watching the amazing sunset finish its day with a masterpiece.

Next time I'll use a real tripod-not my chest pack

Messing with colors....

Forever Solo

Fins of Fire

I Spey Strawberry

2009-05-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

I woke up Sat morning to the sound of rain beating against my window. The first thing that popped into my head was BWOs. So I got up and mentally planned out my day as I got my warm clothes put together. I couldn't help wish I was on my way to the green, but the extra sleep and The Middle would fit the mold just fine. After a trip to The King and Sportsman's for a new rain jacket, I was on my way. The drive up Provo canyon wasn't very promising. The LP was running high and cloudy, giving me second guesses on my choice of location. As I approached the Charleston turn off I couldn't do it, I had talked myself into making the extra drive just to see if there was any open water at Strawberry. (I also thought if there wasn't, I would still be able to make it back in time for the bwo hatch) The drive to Strawberry was wet and that turned into snow and ice. I watched as my gauge turned from 47* to 22* in the matter of 10 miles. When I finally reached my destination, I was stoked to see the gamble paid off big time. I had hit "Ice Off" just right! As I was getting ready, I was greeted by another fishermen that was cursing the crappy conditions and was leaving because of the thick slush that covered any open water. "You can't get your flies through it" he said at least 10 times to me. "Good luck, you'll need it" he said. I took that as a challenge and was on my way to the limited open water. He was right the slush was thick, due to the snow that was falling, but it was totally fishable with the right set up. For me the right set up was a 9 ft leader (with a couple weights placed 2 ft apart) with heavily weighted Sex Dungeon. The fly would brake through the slush and the fine tippet would cut through the slush allowing it to stay below and not get pulled to the surface where the fly line was. Within a couple cast, I felt some pressure and thought crap, a snag! As I pulled the line tight, it moved and then took off like a bullet under the safety of the ice. I yelled out in hopes that the negative fishermen could here me on his way back home. It was done! I had met the challenge with a beautiful 23-24 inch Cutthroat. After warming up, I continued to pound the ice line getting hookups and misses on a continual basis. The weather finally decided to give me some relief and with a little wind and rain the slush monster was gone and for about 45 mins the sun emerged and gave me some much needed warmth. In all it was an amazing outing. The fish were big and healthy and I was virtually alone all day. So who would have thought that a BWO hatch could be so good!

Drift Boat Makeover #2 (Fly Fishing Edition)

2009-05-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of fly fishing I have added a couple new features to Corona that will make being on the river that much more comfortable for the everyday fly fishermen like myself.

#1. Front Dry Storage: Almost every trip I take to the Green River in UT, I get rained on. Sometimes its just a little and other times its just ridiculous. Now if it rains I have a place to put all my gear that I need to keep dry. More importantly, I will have a place to put sleeping bags and clothes when I go on camp/float trip, like the South Fork. In all I am stoked that I finally have it done.

Before Pic

After Pic

#2. Built in Fly Boxes: This was an idea I got from a boat builder on another site. (I stole it) It was exactly what I was looking for and a geat idea. Boxes that will keep things dry and protected. One box has foam for flies, slot for floatant, weights, etc..., a lanyard for tippet and sace for fly boxes. The other box is for anything else like cameras, food, and more fly boxes. In all it will be nice not to worry about covering up all my crap, when the rain comes down or if the sun is burning it up.

Before Pic

After Pics

The Art Fishing with Kids

2009-05-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is a subject that I have been thinking a lot about lately. It is something that is so important to our sports future and the tradition of Fly Fishing. After many years of teaching fly fishing to all ages, here are my most important points to teaching kids how to fly fish and enjoy it.

#1. Its never to early to take a kid fly fishing: Kids are kids no matter what the age…Sometimes adults act more childish than 8 yr old anyway. I hear all the time “I can’t take my kid fishing until he is older “ I think that attitude is just a little selfish. There are times to fish with hardcore buddies and times to fish with your kids. For example: I am 26 and have no kids of my own, but I have helped teach many kids how to fly fish and now they have moved from the kids group into my hardcore fishing buddies at age 12-15. My little brother Gunner is living proof of that. Growing up with fly fishing siblings, Gunner was introduced to fly fishing when he was old enough to walk. He got his first fly rod at age 4 and caught his first fish that year. At age 6 he could cast, hook and land fish alone and now at age 12. He is completely self sufficient and can out fish most adults that we go with. (Don’t get me started on his little sister Addie, who is now 10) So when I hear someone doesn’t fish with their kids because they are too young, I just shake my head, knowing what they are missing out on.

#2. Build up what a privilege it is to go fly fishing.

#3. No matter what, make it fun. Never get mad at your kid, laughing goes a long way. Remember how bad you were when you started.

#4. Teach by example: You can fish too! Don’t spend the whole day shadowing over your rookie. It gets old quick! Catch some fish and show them that you are a master at the sport. That respect will go a long way. Plus it gets kids excited to see fish and makes for a successful trip even though they might not have caught anything. (Age Depending)

#5. Make it simple. One fly, small casts, no trees, etc...

#6. Its not just about fishing, go on a hike, hangout, look at the flowers, bugs, and animals. Do what they want to do. They will want to go again if it was fun.

#7. Make sure to be prepared. Have warm clothes, food and water at hand.

#8. Pick a good day and location: Don’t fish the Provo River with a rookie. Choose a river or lake that you know holds a lot of hungry fish that are easy to catch. I like high country lakes and streams (lots of brookies) and community ponds. Also make sure you go on a nice day. Fishing in comfortable weather is lot easier than sub zero weather. Plus it’s a lot more fun for kids.

#9. Bring a friend along. Kids show off to their friends, which in reality teaches them to be better. Plus sometimes it makes it fun for them to stop fishing and just hangout with someone else. Remember its about having fun, not just fishing.

#10. Don’t over teach: teach them when they want and are ready to learn. The best time is when they ask for your help.

#11. Be Positive: Give lots of complements, kids always perform better under a positive teacher.

#12. Teach Through Stories: Most kids relate to stories better than lectures. Stories give kids a chance to visualize the situation before it is done. Plus kids will really pay attention when a story is being told.

#13. Get treats or food after (before) the day. (Build a tradition-ex: During the summer we always get a Slurpee after a day on the provo)

#14. Gear Them Up: How would a kid be able to go out and play baseball with his friends if he didn’t have a mitt, bat and ball? It’s the same thing with fly fishing. Kids need at least a rod, reel and line to be able to practice their casting. This doesn’t mean go out and buy the best gear- I would go to any sporting good store and get them the cheapest rod and reel possible. (Most are under $50 for the set up) It will make them appreciate, getting a nicer set up later on. Have them save up their money to get a net, fly box, flies, glasses, waders, and boots or they are all good gifts ideas. (Birthdays, Christmas, etc...)

#15 Don't forget to tell them that you are proud of how good they did. That they are great fly fishermen.

So get out and take a kid fishing and I promise you, the rewards will be priceless!

After Work Relaxation

2009-05-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been spending all my free time after work, doing little things on the drift boat and not allowing any time to fish. So with a much needed break from Corona, I decided to make a quick after work trip to Tibble Fork Res. which it perfectly placed 15 mins from my backyard. I got to the res. to find wind and not a single rising fish. I made my way down to the lake to find it was at full capacity and my favorite flat was flooded just perfect for cruising trout. The fishing started off slow with lots of tugs, but only a couple good hooks up on a swinging wet fly, in the inlet current. Knowing that the peak of the chrono hatch is always later I worked my way over to the flats and got set up for the main even. Just like clock work, the sun fell behind the jagged peaks, the wind settled and the chronomids came out to play. For the next hour the little alpine res. was alive with smiling tout and at least one smiling fishermen. As the parking lot cleared and my hands were to cold function, I decided it was the end of the 4th and the remaining trout will have to wait until next game.

2009 Drift Boat Makeover

2009-04-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Being a drift boat owner is something that a small percentage of fishermen ever get to experience during there life as a fly fishermen. Owning a wooden drift boat is an even smaller percentage. There is something special about taking care of a classic wood boat. Its almost as if one takes care of it as there on child. For example: They take special care to keep it safe away from any harm, they spoil it and spend countless dollars to keep it looking good, they spend hours with it to make it better and most of all they love their wood boat and would never give it up no matter what. To me owning a wooden boat is a whole nother level of fly fishing. I am still learning to be a better craftsman, but time is something I have to share with my little baby.

I am always thinking of new ideas to help improve and customize my boat to fit most of my wants on the water. This year I have finally made a list of "Must Does", so here are a couple of my latest "Must Does" that have finally made it off the list.

My Boat is a 16 ft Greg Tatman Kit

1. LineX the bottom-This was a pretty easy project. All I had to do was remove the plastic bottom that was attached. (about 100 screws) and take it to LineX of Sandy. Ask for Kelly, he is the shop owner and will take great care of anyone he works with. (Great Guy!!!) They are a top notch LineX Dealer and I would recommend them to anyone that is thinking about putting LineX on their boat, truck, Jeep or anything else you want to protect. They did all the prep work needed and sprayed on the LineX. I love this stuff. It is tough (lifetime guarantee) and it looks great. Don't have to worry about a leaky bottom any more. Also you can tell them how you want them to spray it. For me I had them spray 4 inches up the sides and up the back in an oval shape for the anchor and up the front to give it a balanced design and rock protection.

For more information about LineX of Sandy check out the link below: http://www.linex.com/ or call Kelly direct at: (801)255-5591

Before Pics

After Pics

2. Build Tubed Rod Holders- I saw these on a Hyde and I knew I needed them. I had open rod holders before and I broke a rod last year as I jumped out of the boat. They are simple, got to any store that has PVC and buy 2 inch size with some of the metal brackets that hold them in place. I refinished them with the same textured spray paint as the inside of my boat.

3. Refinish Inside- I use a textured spray paint called Stone something. ($10 per can at Home Depot) The color is pebble. It looks like granite. After I spay and dry, I cover it with clear gloss finish and it protects it great. Plus it looks very sharp!

4. Put in Swivel Seats- I got mine at Cabelas for $40 great soft seats that fold down.

5. Build in Lanyards for front and back fishermen- Nothing is worst than having to fool around looking for stuff when you can be fishing. I have made a couple lanyards so that each fisherman has all their tippets, weights, floatant and forecepts ready and accessible all the time.

6. Fix Boat Cover- Patched holes and strenghtened my old cover that has seen to may days in the sun. It sure bet spending $500 bones on a new one.

7. Customize Wood Side Panels- With putting the LineX 4 inches up my sides, I had to remove my side panels. I didn't want to get rid of them because I love the look they give a traditional wood boat. So I figured I could make them smaller and am give them a new look to fit my personality. (The design comes from my art background)

Before Pics

After

The Payoff to a lot of hard work.

Things to come:

1. Dry Storage Boxes in Front, Middle and back seats

2. Built in Cooler under rowers seat.

3. Refinish Trailer

4. Durabak or Raptor inside floor

5. Cup holders

6. Lay out seat-So when my wife floats with me she can lay out in her bikini and read a book

Green River Part 2

2009-04-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

In a rush to get my last post out before the feeling of the trip faded. Which it does if you wait too long. Its not so much that you forget, but it is the little things that get forgotten. In my rush I neglected to get some of the best pics of the trip from my friend Wayne. So here is another look at the trip from Wayne's prospective.

Late Night at "The Wall". To give Waynes fish justice the smaller brown in the pic is 17 inches

Second Wall Hog in 5 mins

What Rain?

Finally A Bow!

Annual Green River BWO Trip

2009-04-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Every year it's tradition for me to plan a trip to the Green River during the famed Blue Wing Olive Hatch. Its the one trip each year that I am so excited about that I am thinking and planning for it all year. In a way its an adults Christmas. The first trip I took was a little crazy. We caught more fish than I have ever seen caught in one day on bwo's and ended up with $1000s of dollars in tickets and fines. (Stupid Obstructing Justice Rule) Another memorable trip was the first trip with my boat. We we floated 3 days with great weather and the rivers resident big browns would not leave our PMX's alone. But just as time changes all things, this years trip ranks up top as my new favorite bwo trip. The trip started well before the scheduled date of April 17-19th. During that time flies were tied, the boat was refinished and customized, needed gear was bought, and people that swore they were going to be there dropped like flies. We started the trip with only 4 of the original 15 group members. (Weather, wives, dogs, girl friends, money, jobs, and everything else seemed to be an excuse. I guess its all Obama's fault) So with Gunner, Mallary, Wayne and myself, we set off for the Green and in search of a rising fish.

Day 1 (Friday 17th)
After a snowy drive we reached the red rocks of the Flaming Gorge Valley. Its always a warming feeling when one descends down the windy path and reaches the clear cool water of the green. The days fishing was red hot from the start. Mallary caught one of the two fish caught with a nymph rig the whole trip as we launched the boat. After that I noticed midges everywhere, so we hit up a couple of my favorite scum lines and had a blast, as we fished little midges for rising trout. The fishing turned up another level as we zeroed in to what they were really wanting and how they were wanting it. The fly of choice was a customized Orange Asher that I created on a wim. (I am sure glad I did) The scum suckers wouldn't leave this fly alone. It caught fish all day for us. By the end of the day and after a trip to "The Wall" we were about 50 flies short and 25 of those were ashers.
Highlights:
Waynes and Mallarys huge browns at "The Wall"
"Spread Eagle, I mean bald eagle" good one Mal (What was that eagle?)
Frozen Hands, Feet
Last ones off the water, floating the last mile in the dark
Staying in a warm condo and not camping
Tying flies watching AEG-New ZDay 2

With a better idea of the fishing and the bugs. We started the day with a better idea of what we wanted to do. We started off with dries and never looked back. Midges and BWOs were the flies of choice. We only fished areas that held rising fish, which wasn't very hard to find. With ideal weather the fishing was off the charts. It rained for about 30 mins as we had lunch and then after that the fishing was even better than before. In places the midges were so thick that it loked like their was sand on top of the water. On the way down "The Wall" produced right before dark with bwo's. If Mallary didn't fall in and get all wet, I would have been able to catch even more than 3 fish in 5 mins that she gave us. It was an amazing site to see hundreds of rising fish in the shallow water run. That night we met up with the rest of the crew Jeff, Laura and Addie. (The Family) They had a nice warm dinner ready as we got off the river and back to the condo.

Highlights
"I love your boat" Happy B-Day Tristen
Meeting Scott and his girl
Trav and Mall fishing together-just killing it
Watching the Rocker
Day 3

Bright skies, warm weather and rising trout is a good way to sum up our last day on the river. We fished our favorite spot from the last couple days and it produced like we knew it would. The fish were a little picky, but a size down or 5 was all one needed to temp them to take our little midges. As the afternoon fell upon us, I noticed bigger fish were rising in a fast water seem. I studied the water and noticed the trout were only talking the emerging bwos. With this in mind I hooked and quick released the largest fish of the trip. Guessing it would have pushed 25, but who knows. I was able to pick up a very nice 22 to end the trip and fill my pot for another year. We rowed down the rest of the river fulfilled. As we reached little hole we were greeted with another prepared lunch and a chance to share our days stories, before we had to call it quits. In all it was some of the finest dry fly fishing I have experienced, as well as great company and experiences that will teach us for a life time.

Highlights
Osprey catching fish
Warm Weather!!! not for fishing
Addie first float
22 inch brown on 28 midge

Time to get ready for next year!

In Search of a Blue Wing Olive

2009-04-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

Late March and into April means one thing to me...Its BWO time and I better start my annual migration to "The Middle" of no where. I don't know why I act the way I do, it just happens like a goose flying 1000s of miles ever fall and back again in the spring. There is no where I would rather be than on a familiar stretch of trout water, as an rainy overcast sky invites 100s to 1000s of little olive bugs to start and fulfill their life's purpose. It is truly a magical time to be a fly fisherman. On this stormy cold April morning, I found myself fitting the pieces to the trout puzzle more than usual. Even though it is supposed to be the best fishing of the year it doesn't mean you will still catch a single fish. To be successful one must be one step ahead of the prey. For example: Today was a prefect bwo day, overcast, rainy, and just a little cold, but I didn't see a bug until 2pm. In the mean time when all 7 guys around me were using bwo dries to the rising trout. I was catching 99% of the fish in the area on tiny midges. It was fun to watch them all in amazement asking "What is the hell is he using, that is so good?" I just keep quit and landed, sipping brown after brown.

After I had fulfilled my taste for shallow sipping browns on light technical material, I switched locations in search of my days quest. As I walked the small stream I noticed the trout feeding was more war like, then I saw it, floating like a sailing ship in the Caribbean. It was my first BWO encounter of the season and I was stoked to find a pod of rising trout. After scanning a productive location I found just the spot and the fish were thick and shopping for a meal like it was their first of the year. After an hour of non-stop enjoyment, the rain and the dropping temps pushed me off the river shaking with only my light shirt on and back to my life. So if the BWO hatch is so great, why can only a handful of anglers on the river really enjoy its bounty it provides? I guess it all lye's in the eyes of the beholder...fish or not I will always love the bwo hatch no matter what, it is part of me and my culture.

Gear Review

2009-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know about the rest of the world, but every fly fishermen I have ever met likes to take pictures and usually has a little point and shot camera with them on every trip. One of the great things about having a camera is to, 1 show off your big fish, 2 capture the experiences and 3 act like your important enough to post them on a blog. (like myself) The down side to carrying a camera is that where you fish has water and water and cameras just don't play nice together. In fact I would have to say this is one thing I am a specialist at, I have successful donated $1000s of dollars worth of electronics to the water. So after all the pain and verbal abuse I have gotten from the wife and family. I have finally learned my lesson. This weeks product review is on my brand new Olympus - Stylus Tough 10-Megapixel Digital Camera - Orange. This camera is a fisherman's dream come true. It is water proof and it can be dropped and still hold up. After using this camera for the past two weeks I have been very happy with its performance. The first week I was in Mexico on a cruise testing its ability to withstand hours of saltwater and snorkeling. See the results: The next test was last night I decided to take it to my home trout stream. It took a couple cool pics and once again I drooped it in 4 ft of water, (Gotta get one of those foam things) but when I picked it up it was still on and ready to take another picture.

I am still figuring out all of the different settings and which works best for what, but for only $299, I would recommend this camera to anyone who has lost a camera to the water demon or who can't take their camera to the river because the wife doesn't allow it.

What's Included

Olympus Stylus Tough 10-Megapixel Digital Camera
1 lithium-ion battery, battery charger
USB cable, A/V cable, microSD adapter
Wrist strap, Olympus Master 2 software
Owner's manual
Product Features
10-megapixel CCDCaptures high-resolution images up to 3648 x 2736 pixels.
3.6x optical/5x digital/18x total zoomFor precise zooming and accuracy.
Dual image stabilization Minimizes shake and vibration distortion.
Face detection technology Tracks faces within the frame and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure.
White balance modes Include auto and daylight, overcast, tungsten and 3 fluorescent presets.
Built-in auto flash With red-eye reduction, fill-in and off modes.
Panorama mode With image stitching for creative landscape photography.
Scene modes Including portrait, landscape, night scene, night and portrait, sort, indoor, candle, self portrait, sunset, fireworks, cuisine, documents, smile shot, beach and snow, snow, precapture movie, underwater snapshot.
Also includes underwater wide 1, underwater wide 2, underwater macro and movie.
Special effects Include red-eye fix, shadow adjustment, beauty fix, cropping, resize, black and white, sepia, calendar and saturation.
42MB internal memory Supports xD-Picture Card and microSD cards with an adapter (media not included).
USB interface Connects to your PC. PictBridge-enabled to connect your camera to a compatible printer and print photos directly without using a PC. Olympus Master 2.0 software helps organize and add special effects to images.
Durable, sleek, all-weather design For great pictures of your on-the-go lifestyle.

Cheep Fix-Aquapac

As a side note I have also used the Aquapac for a couple years. It is cheep ($25) and it worked ok, but it was hard to take pictures in the pac and they didn't always turn out as well. But it is better than nothing.

Free Fly Fishing Weekend Give-A-Way!!!

2009-04-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

It’s about time the Frenzy did a Give-Away

Alright Frenzy Nation, the Fly Fishing Frenzy is giving away a 3 day 2 night stay at our Cabin in Victor, Idaho (20 miles west of Jackson Hole, Wyoming) in the Teton Springs Development.
The Development is a 27 Hole Johnny Miller Golf Course with many ponds around the development stocked with Native Cutthroat and Brook Trout. I know that for many of our readers/subscribers it might be a ways to travel to Victor, but the journey will be well worth it.
The area is ripe with great fly fishing. Not only will you find trout taking flies on the ponds surrounding the golf course in Teton Springs, but here are a few rivers/creeks that are within a short drive:
Teton River
Bitch Creek,
South Fork of the Snake River,
Henry’s Fork of the Snake,
and many more.

Jackson Hole is a short 25 minute drive over the pass and the nightlife over there is much better than in Victor. You definitely will not be disappointed.

Here is how the Giveaway works. It is really simple, there is only one way to put your name into the running.
Enter your email below to subscribe to our blog (make sure it is a valid email and one you use because that is the only way we will be able to contact the winner) and we will do a drawing on April 20th 2009 out of the list of current subscribers at that time.
The winner will be announced on our Blog that day.
The winner will need to send over 2 - 3 potential dates that work for him/her and we will get it on the calendar.
We will not use your email for anything besides sending you notifications of new blog posts.
The cabin is a 4 bedroom 4.5 bath. It is 4000 sq ft and is fully furnished. Here are a few pics.
ENJOY!

Here is the link to put in for the Give-Away: http://www.flyfishingfrenzy.com/2009/04/01/winner-winner-chicken-dinner/

As a side note, I want to put in my two cents about how amazing this give away is. I was fortunate enough to stay at the Victor Cabin (My Dream Home) last year. The place is a fly fishers dream home. It's location is perfect and you can't beat chasing 18-22 inch Native Cutties in your own backyard! I will never forget fishing one of the many ponds in the middle of the night right outside the cabin. It was a full moon and the over sized Cutties were taking my mouse fly with reckless abandonment. It went a little like this: Long cast, big slash, suck ! I missed him, strip once, big slash, got him! After they started to get wise to my mouse fly, a big black wolly bugger, picked up where the mouse left off. Hancey and I left at 3 am, just in time for a couple hours of sleep before we were off to the South Fork of the Snake. Whoever wins this give me a shout and I'll share some of my other secrets of the local waters.

Dr Gillespie

2008 Big Fish List

2009-03-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why I choose the fish I do for my big fish list. Some are huge, others have a huge story and others are so beautiful they seem bigger than life itself. So here is a look back to at some of the biggest, most beautiful fish I was privileged to witness. Congrats to those that made the list and to those that didn't, hold the fish out farther and you might just make it in 2009.

Dr Gillespie's Flies

2009-03-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been asked by a lot of my followers to post more information about the flies that I am selling and what I offer. So here is the break down:

I sell my flies in 3 different methods:

1. Custom Orders -Tell me what you want and how you what it.

2. Specific Selections Orders

Beginner Selection (Proven flies that will catch fish)

Dry Fly Selection

Nymph Selection

Emerger Seletion
Provo River Selection (Choose the season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring)
Green River Selection (Choose the season or hatch)

Weber River Selection
Cache Valley Rivers Selection

Tibble Fork Selection

South Fork or the Snake Selection

Henry's Fork Selection
Madison River Selection

Southern Utah Selection

Small Streams Selection

Back Country/Alpine Lakes Selection

Stillwater Selection

Terristrial Selection
BWO Selection

Midge Selection
Micro Selection (Tiny #22-26s)

Upon Special Request: Rodants Selection

3. Per Fly Orders

Fly Rates:

1. $1.00 per Fly (with the exception of large terrestrials and large streamers are $2.00 per fly)

2. $10.00 per Selection of 12

3. Bulk Order Promo: All orders of 100 flies or more get a free 12 fly selection of their choice

How to Order:

1. Decide which flies you want

2. Call or Email me with your order--- 801-822-2238 or tgillespie8@hotmail.com

3. All orders must be paid using PayPal

When Do I Get My Flies?

1. Orders will be completed and shipped within on week of the orginal payment. (Allow more time for orders of 100 flies or more)

2. Orders will be shipped via UPS Ground unless a special shipping is discussed.

Do you have a fly catalog or listing of the flies?

1. No, not yet. I am taking the pictures right now and will put it together in the next week or so.

2. Realize, I can tie almost any fly out there. So if you have a certain pattern you want, I will customize it for you.

Dr G's - 2009 Fly Fishing Gear Review

2009-03-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Every year like all fly fishermen I make a mental wish list of gear that I wish I had. Each year I get a few new pieces of fly fishing gear that I had been wishing for and dying to get.

2009 has been one of my better years for the amount of new gear I have had to try out. So here it is:

2009 Gear Review

Orvis Pro Guide 3 Waders: If your looking for waders that will take a beating than these are your waders. I am hard on my waders an I expect them to perform in all four seasons the Rockies have to offer. They are top of the line waders that Pro Guides use world wide. I owned the Pro Guide 2's for two years until they finally sprang a leak in the inter leg seem. I sent them to Orvis for repair. (Under Life Time Warranty) And to my surprise they sent me a brand new pair of Pro Guide 3's. Orvis takes care of and treats their clients better than anyone in the business, PERIOD! The 3s are everything I want in a wader. Very comfortable, breathable, lightweight and durable. The highlight of the waders is that they moved the leg seem from the inter leg where it wears from walking to directly behind the leg to stop the fix that common problem. They also added a stretchy fabric to the top part of the waders to add flexibility while casting and moving around. To top them off, the built in hand warmers are awesome in every way. So with the Orvis name you know you are getting a top quality product and company that will do anything to keep your business for life...They got me!

To see images and more info go to: http://www.orvis.com/store/productchoice.aspx?pf_id=861K&dir_id=758&group_id=777&cat_id=5595&subcat_id=7312

Price: $349

Korkers Streamborn Wading Boots: I always thought that there was no difference in wader boots. Any kind of old shoe you didn't like would work, right? Man was I wrong! I can't tell you how many times my feet hurt or fell asleep due to tight boots or shoes. Or how about the way a felt sole falls off after a month of fishing 5 days a week. I can now say that after wearing my Korkers Streamborns for a month I will never go back to cheap Hodgmans again. My Korkers fit extremely comfortable(like reg boots), they have great installation for the winter and the water release holes are a great idea, especially for keeping water out of the drift boat. I like that they are tall to stop rocks from entering. But most of all you can beat the versatility of the replaceable soles to meet the needs of your environment. If your going to stand on your feet all day you might as well have comfortable boots, right?

More Info: http://www.korkers.com/

Price: $139

Korkers Torrent Wet Wading/Hiking Shoe: If you know me you know I love to wet wade whenever possible. Some say I am a fish cause I can stand the cold water, better than most. I found these shoes on a screaming deal and they were just what I was looking for. I haven't used them yet, but they are going to be perfect for hiking and fishing the back country rivers and lakes, as well as summer caddis hatches and perfect for the drift boat. Like the streamborns they are versatile in the way that you can replace the soles of the environment. (they come with a rubber and felt sole, but you can even have golf and sailing soles if you want) I love the idea of only taking one shoe to hike and fish in. With the light weight design and tough look. They are the best Wet Wading Shoe/Hiking shoe on the market.

Price: $99

Measure Nets (large): These nets are great to keep a fisherman honest. I really like the built-in measuring tape, its extremely light weight, and the ability to extend (telescopic) the net when needed. One down fall is that hooks get caught in the nets material and are a pain to get out. I wish the netting was rubber, like my drift boat net. But for a personal wading net it is hard to beat for the price and the light weight.

Price: $39

Pflueger Summit Reels 7/8 and 5/6: Best reel for the price, Period! In the past year I picked up three of these reels and I love them more than my more expensive reels. They are smooth and the disk drag is amazing. The gold color gives them a royal feel and large arbor pulls in line twice as fast. Great Reel

Price: $59-$79

Scientific Anglers MAX 752 Waterproof Fly Box: Holds 752 flies, pre-slits hold flies without destroying the foam. Great main fly box for your favorite patterns...I use mine as my main fly box. It has all the flies I need for the Rockies and my favorite streams.

Price: $30

Scientific Anglers System X Waterproof Fly Box: Nice fly box, I like the MAX better. Not per slit. Great for the average joe or for certain situations and waters. I have two of these boxes and they beat most other boxes on the market. I use mine for a Alpine lake box and green river box.

Price: $25

Simms Fishing Shirts: Comfortable fishing shirts that can be worn in the office or on the stream. I found a great deal on these shirts, so I picked up 5. They all fit great and I love the long selves for cooler days and sun protection. I wear the more stylish ones to the office all the time.

Price: Normally $30-$60 (I got them for $13 on a super sale)

Watermark Drake Vest/Pack: Great fishing vest for the angler that has a lot of gear and fly boxes. I love the comfort of the pack. (It fits very firm) Highlights: Big back pack, water blatter compatible, lots of pockets, rod holders (2), removable front pockets. Cons: Small front pockets, heavy. I have been wearing these pack for a couple months now and I love it. I am always prepared with the gear I need and can carry. Great pack at a great price!

Price $59

Umpqua 7X & 8X Tippets: I'm usually a fluoro guy, but I like the strenght and low price of this fine lined tippets. I have notice much greater strenght with these tippets. Now I am not afraid to stick it to a midge eating brown. Plus the roles they come on are the best for a lanyard and keeping the line under control.

Price: $3.99 per tippet

Boot Dryer Rack: I got it as a present and installed it in my garage. It allows you to hang your wet boots up for quick drying. Yes, it does work. I have noticed my boots dry much quicker now then sitting in a corner some where.

Price: $10

Gink Floatant: I have tried a couple other brands out there, but Gink has given me the best results. I like the simplicity and long gevity of the floatant.

Price: $3.99

Thingamabobbers Strike Indicators: What makes a great indicator? For me its casting ability, floatation, and movable. These things do them all and are by far the best thing that has happen to nymphing since Pheasant Tails were invented.

Price: $5

"Suck, I Missed The Big One!!"

2009-03-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ever time I am out fishing I hear the same fishing lingo. "Are they rising?", "What fly did you get him on?", "What a sweet take", etc... However there is one phrase that never gets left out of a day on the water. "Suck, I just missed the big one!!!" is a staple for all fly fishermen in the world, its meaning can make some mad, happy and others heart broken. But in some complex way it must feel good to say it, because we say it a lot. To admit to others that you had the chance to catch a big fish and you blew it. I guess we do it because in fly fishing half the battle is getting a fish to take and in this case a wise old fish. So when we shout out "Suck, I just missed the big one!!" we are really saying "That was awesome, I just tricked a big smart trout into finally eating my fly!" So today we had one of those days on the Provo where the famous phrase was very prevalent. Hancy and I met up to fish the Midge Hatch that we knew would be coming off at a certain location between 12-3 pm. Just like clock work the big pool turned from a fish rising here and there to a boiling pot of water. Right off the bat we were hooking into fish on small midge adults. The fish were a little picker today then last weeks, (maybe the bright clear day) but we both seemed to be content with the days results.

The fun thing about today's fishing was the way I would hunt/target a certain fish until it would fall victim to my fly or be put down. I would spot a large fish and key in on his feeding lane. I didn't want to waste any time with the smaller fishing rising all around. This technique proved true as I spotted a large brown trout sipping midges in the slow seem. After changing to smaller midges #26. I was able to hook and land the beautiful big spotted 19 inch brown.

On the other hand Hancy and I both shouted "Suck, I just missed the big one" about ever 10 mins, but none of them were worst then the hog brown that taught me a great lesson. I spotted the brown as its big dark back came out of the water to eat a cluster full of midges. I though that has to be over 20 for sure. After 30 or so casts to this over sized fish I decided to give it a break and try for some easier fish. After a nice 15 incher I was ready for another try at the brown that haunted me. As the flies landed I thought "NO, I casted to far", but to my surprise I saw a little halo in the water right where my emerger had landed, I jerked my rod back in hope of resistance...and like a lightening bolt of energy running through my body, I was in a fight up with my target. Right off the bat he took me deep and up stream to the safety of the big boulder. The fight only lasted for only 20 seconds leaving me on the bank flyless, shouting "Suck, I just missed the big one!!!"

HB 187--Bye BYE!!!

2009-03-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

I personally want to thank Bryan, Lonnie, Cor and every other supporter of
Utah Water Rights...Thank you so much for all your hard work and dermination in this noble cause...It is people like you that make me proud to be a fishermen in the great state of Utah.
_______________________________
HB 187 ....DEFEATED TODAY....FINALLY!

After (3) substitutes Bills, (20) amendments, the Bill failed in the House, a 43-31vote today, March 9, 2009.

The public did the unthinkable, again. Not only did they sink the Bill the first go around, but they did it again for the second time today, 3/9/09. A great deal of determination, spirit and integrity stood up and brought down HB 187 AGAIN!!!!
HB 187 has been defeated once and for all!A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who wrote their Representatives, called, lobbied, informed, spoke out, went with out sleep, work, food and fishing to fight for something we believe in…time and time again. Even though we encountered a few bumps in the road, we all stood together to see it through till the bitter end. Today our elected Representatives spoke on behalf of the people and once again, today, the people were heard! Everyone played a big roll in this victory, congratulations and bravo for sticking it out.The next phase will be working to get a respectable Bill passed that meets on common ground, one that is reasonable to the Utah Supreme Court Ruling, and fair to all citizens. We must remain motivated and watchful in our attempt to protect our waters. Value our freedom and civil rights by taking care of our resource for generations to come.We have (2) more request.

1. Please write your Representative(s) and thank them!!. We sent thousands of emails and they answered hundreds of our calls, we need to extend our hand and say thank you! They worked hard for us; let them know you appreciate it.

2. Please use our precious resource with respect, humility and pride. Pick up that trash, repair that broken fence, mend the relationships with landowners and respect private property. We will be looked at very closely this year, let make sure we show them we are Guardians of the water and Stewards of the land. This year it’s extremely important to abide by the law and make the effort to lend a hand to landowners. This is just as important as eliminating the Bill.

Thanks again everyone, it wasn’t easy and we appreciate your honest efforts. My hat is of to you all!!!! We all came together with a unified voice…. residents and non-residents alike, extraordinary work everyone!

Well done!

See you on the water!

Bryan
www.utahwaterguardians.org

"EPIC DAY"

2009-03-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

So I've been doing some thinking about what makes an "EPIC DAY" on the water. Is it the beautiful scenery one witnesses, the time away from real life, the fish caught or is it simply the friendships we gain and share? I guess it really just comes down to who you talk to and how they see their life. To me an "Epic Day" is something personal that I keep deep inside my soul, it is the one thing that I can have that no one else can take away or share. Its very personal.

So on that note, today was what some might call an "Epic Day". With the OK from the wife and a few texts later, I had a crew of four die hard fishermen and fisherwomen, excited to hit the Middle Provo in the morning. We arrived at our destination at 8:45 am to the surprise of complete solitude. (Weird for the provo on a Sat.) Isn't it funny how a little cold weather forecast will scare off most anglers. As we approached the river we instantly saw little rings of joy that would make any anglers heart start beating a little faster. After tying on some little Midges (#20-22) with 7X tippet, Mallary struck first with two quick hook ups. After that was the highlight of the outing for me. I casted my flies up the shallow riffle and WHAM! on the first cast I was hooked into a fat leaping brown on 7X tippet. It tried everything possible to rub or throw the hook, but after the air show was finished the big fish came into the net. It measured a true 21 inches with a great healthy girth. I was stoked! I could have ended my day right then and been completely content.

For the next hour we had a little calm before the storm, the hatch hadn't really started yet, but there were just enough little Midges flying around to keep the fish looking up. We each landed a couple on dries, then just like clock work the weather warmed a little and the main event begun!!! Within a matter of 30 mins there were hundreds of fish on the surface sipping the abundance of clustered midges that layered the waters surface. It was an amazing site and the dry fly fishing for the next 3 hours was just plain old silly. With a good presentation, the right size of fly (Griffin Gnat #22!!!) no hungry brown could stand a chance.

The key was in the presentation!!! Accurate, soft casting was crucial to get the tiny flies to a trouts feeding lane without spooking them.

With the late addition of Big Hoss to our team. Hoss, Wayne, Mallary and myself had a blast catching feisty 14-17 inch browns until our arms were sore and our confidence was through the roof. But just as we knew it, great days must come to an end and the hatch was over and the fish went back to their beds. All we could say was "that was an amazing hatch". So what makes an "Epic Day"? Well it's all in the eyes of the beholder...

Fishing Summary:

Fished: 9 am-4 pm

Midge Hatch 9 am-3 pm (best time 1-3)

Flies: Orange Asher #16, Grif Gnat #20, Zebra #22, WD-40 #22, Single Midge #24, Midge Emerger #24-26.

Tippet: 6X-7X

Midge Hatch Anyone?

2009-02-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

What's tiny, black and very hard to imitate? You guest it, a late season Midge Hatch on the Middle Provo. I had the whole Sat. to myself. The only thing I had planned was to plan something to do. As I drifted off to sleep Friday night I had two ideas, one was to wake up early and drive out to the Green solo and the other was to venture to unfished sections of the upper Provo that had been locked up to private landowners for yrs, but now are open to their natural state. As planned I woke up at 4am, still undecided on what road to take, I fought over the pros and cons until my mind was set. The unknown wins again!!! Plus the extra 3 hours of sleep was nice. At 7am I rolled out of bed and packed the Jeep. When I arrived to the river access. I was greeted with something one would see on an Alaskan cruise. The river was lined with ice and flowing slush and ice chunks were the norm. Right off the bat I found a nice deep run with some very promising water. I hooked up with two fatties and that was it. The ice and the freezing water was enough to prompt me to head down river in search for some warmer water and a late morning midge hatch. (tailwater below dam) I got to my spot to see three trucks already there, dang I though, but when I pulled up everyone was just getting set up, so I pulled over and grabbed my rod and was the first to hit the river. As I approached the river I could see rings of midge eating trout.

My heart started pounding. I got set up with an outfit of #24 single midge with a orange asher. Within my first ten casts I managed to miss at least 3 fish and land 2 nice little browns.

That is about how the rest of the afternoon went for me. I would miss about ten fish for ever one that I landed. The biggest problem that I had was my over excited hook sets on 7X. I must had broken off at least 20 flies in fishes mouths. (Slurp, That was my fly!, hard hook set, feel the fishes weight, snap, SH!! SUCK!!!) Oh well, I was a little rusty on fishing dries. As the hatch started dying down around 3pm, I decided to switch locations again to see if I could catch some of the action on big browns that my little sis had a few weeks back. Our secret spot didn't disappoint. I hooked and landed 5 nice browns and a few feisty little bows and one huge whittie within an hour.

In all it was a great day to be out fishing. The weather was perfect for a Feb day. Sunny and about 30-40 degrees average.

I left the house at 7am and returned back home at around 7pm...Next time I will remember to bring my wallet or some kind of food to hold me over on a long day on the river...I returned home bet, tired, and starving, but totally fulfilled and content. Weird how that works

!!!Committee Meeting Tomorrow!!!

2009-02-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

ALERT Committee Tomorrow!!!!

HB187 is up for committee consideration tomorrow: 2/20/09

Our Representatives will vote on whether this bill moves on. We need a strong showing of support. EVERYONE needs to be there.

This is more important than the rally!!!!

WHEN: Friday 2/20/09 @ 2:00pm
WHERE: Capitol Building - Room 445

Link-- http://le.utah.gov/asp/interim/Commit.asp?Year=2009&Com=HSTNAE

Keep fighting,
Bryan Gregson

RALLY @ THE CAPITOL BUILDING!!!!

2009-02-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hey All, The rally is a go. Please support this and encourage others to join. This will affect all recreational water use! Now is the time to act! Forward this off to everyone you know. Time is short and we all need to act!Also, Please keep in mind that the committee hearing is going to be at the last minute notice. It could be as early as 8am Tuesday February 17. WE NEED TO PACK THAT MEETING! Standing room only and fill that room to over flow capacity!
We have attached a flier for you to download in your efforts to help spread the word. Paste it, stick it, plaster it, pin it, tape it everywhere, make this public! (Universities, hotels, workplace, forums, websites, etc)

Keep fighting,
Bryan
------------------------
ATTN: ALL WATER USERS
***RALLY @ THE CAPITOL BUILDING!!!!***
When: Thursday February 19 @ 10:00 am
· Meet on the East steps. Use East parking lot. As a group we will move inside the capitol building to the Rotunda area where we will hold a press conference at 10:30am.
· Specific meeting/parking/driving directions at he bottom of the page

WHY: ALL RECREATIONAL WATER RIGHTS ARE AT RISK!
House Bill 187
Use of Public Waters
CREATES CRIMINAL CONSEQUENCES FOR THE LEGAL ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY ON PUBLIC WATERS
TAKES AWAY WATERS YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD ACCESS TO
ALLOWS PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF PUBLIC PROPERTY
SEVERELY DAMAGES THE ECONOMY OF UTAH'S OUTDOOR INDUSTRY
PUTS PRIVATE INTERESTS OVER THE INTERESTS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC
WASTES DOLLARS AND EFFORTS ALREADY SPENT ON IMPROVING FISHERIES AND HABITAT
CREATES CONFUSING AND CONFLICTING RULES THAT COULD RESULT IN YOU GETTING CITED FOR PARTICIPATING IN A LEGAL ACTIVITY
CREATES A COMMITTEE THAT CAN FURTHER REMOVE WATERS FROM PUBLIC ACCESS

Users of this resource have not had the opportunity to contribute or exchange ideas on this issue. Any proposed legislation should have the backing of an intensive planning committee, within the parameters outlined by the Utah Supreme Court's ruling, with representation of all interested parties.

BOTTOM LINE -->This issue is too important--to landowners and sportsmen alike--to rush it through the session.
----------------------------------------------
DIRECTIONS
PARKING/DIRECTIONS - http://www.utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/visitors/parking.html
ROTUNDA DIRECTIONS - http://utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/visitors/virtualtours/index.html

!!!Stream Access Threatened!!!

2009-02-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Taken from Bryan at http://www.utahcutthroat.blogspot.com/

Hey all,
Some recent news has been brought to my attention. I got word that there is at least (1) bill being pushed through to take away Utah's public right to use all Utah water.We will need to defeat any attempt to remove the existing law. This will need to be done at the grassroots level by calling, emailing or writing legislators in every district in order for them to be aware of the pending assault on the stream rights ruling. This can only be achieved by contacting all of our friends and asking if they will make the small effort it takes to email their legislator. It's going to be an uphill battle but with a joint effort we can make this happen.So to curb any thoughts and to hit this head on before it gains momentum we need to contact our representatives and let them know we support The Utah Supreme Courts ruling, our right to access public water and will not accept anything less.EVERYONE needs to get involved. The more letters the legislators get from more sources, the better. All you need to do is identify where you live, who your area representative is and contact them its easy! It takes less than 5 minutes. Our small voices can and will be heard! Please call everyone you know and ask them to send an email or letter to their representative asking them to protect our right to use public water and wildlife on public waters."Utah Water Guardians" have provide simple steps with easy to follow information that will allow your voice to be heard.
Check it out --->http://utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com/action/
Follow the quick easy steps to locate your representatives and make your voice be heard.Get on it, the time is now!

Keep fighting,

Bryan Gregson
utahcutthroat.blog@gmail.com
http://www.utahcutthroat.com/
____________________________________________________________________
More Info Posted Tues 2/2

Hey all,
UPDATE>>>>
We have created a flier for you to download in your efforts to help spread the word. Paste it, stick it, plaster it, pin it, tape it everywhere, make this public! (Universities, hotels, workplace, forums, websites, etc)
This will help encourage others to exercise the right to speak out against issues that effect s us. Only together we may be able to accomplish this task at hand. Time is short, ACT NOW!
Free download --> http://utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com/download/utahwaterguardians/
Please let us know if you have heard back from your representatives. These are not to paste publicly but to catalog our charts so we know who needs to hear from us and who we don't need to overwhelm.
Key points -- The Utah Supreme Court ruling for the conatser bill only uses the word "access" (1) time. This is about "right, use, utilize and upon the water".
Great job everyone, lets keep this going!

Thank you for all your efforts!!
Bryan
____________________________________________________________________
UPDATE:
February 7, 2009
THE BILL HAS BEEN TITLED AND NUMBERED
Bill Introduced -> "H.B 187 Recreational Use of Public Waters" (Ferry, B.).
Bill Numbered by Title without any Substance, PDF -> H.B 187
Some refer to this as a "Boxcar Bill": Often members of both parties' leadership introduce what's called "boxcar" bills-bills with general titles, like "tax changes"-that contain no text. They are introduced just in case, at the end of a session, the bill file is needed for last-minute action.
WEB WATCH!
Web Watch!! Subscribe to each of the 3 subscription process separately to be notified of changes in each update. Bill –>http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2009/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0187.htm
Notice that Bill 187 is called "Recreational USE of Public Waters". Each word is important to understand so that, when you comment to your legislator or other advocates for your rights' interests, you will be talking about the subject at issue.
Here is the Conclusion of the July 18, 2008 Conatser vs. Johnson Utah Supreme Court ruling:
"29 The district court incorrectly interpreted the scope of the public's easement in state waters so as to limit the Conatsers' rights to being upon the water and to touching the privately owned bed of the Weber River only in ways incidental to the right of floatation.""30 We hold that the scope of the easement provides the public the right to float, hunt, fish and participate in all lawful activities that utilize the water. We further hold that the public has the right to touch privately owned beds of state waters in ways incidental to all recreational rights provided for in the easement, so long as they do so reasonably and cause no unnecessary injury to the landowner."
If you have not taken the time to contact your Representative (s) please do it now! Time is ticking!!
Take action, contact your Representative –>http://utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com/action/
If any of you have received any feedback from your Representatives please let me know
Thanks,Bryan
____________________________________________________________________
OK everyone... It crunch time. The Bill should be out very soon!!

For those of you that have just been added to this list please take a moment to read the attached previous emails below and visit -->http://utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com/action/Those of you that have already contacted your Representative(s), please direct your attention to the Governor's office.For those of you that have not contacted your Representative please do so, even if its only to ask questions to get informed or to let them know that this "backdoor" stuff is concerning you or that you are apprehensive about trusting anything at this point. Its easy,and it takes less than (5) minutes!
Person(s) of Interest
· The Governor's office
Ø Amanda Smith - Legislative Affairs Advisor - amandasmith@utah.gov
Ø Michael Mower - State Planning Coordinator -mikemower@utah.gov

KEY POINTS
o Let them know that Ferry's bill, HB 187, does not speak for your (public's) interest.

o Any effort to diminish, limit, or reverse the public's right to an easement on public water is a direct assault on our rights as defined by the Utah Supreme Court.

o You believe in respecting private property, and that water is a public resource--it benefits everyone and is "owned" by us all. The legislature's obligation is to defend the public's rights to use that resource while continuing to protect the rights of private property owners

o You do not support legislation that attempts to list specific "allowed" and "un-allowed" streams.

o Users of this resource have not had the opportunity to contribute or exchange ideas on this issue. Any proposed legislation should have the backing of an intensive planning committee, within the parameters outlined by the Utah Supreme Court's ruling, with representation of all interested parties.

o In 2006, 1.1 million residents and non-residents participated in some form of fish and wildlife –related recreation in Utah. These anglers, hunters and wildlife viewers spent $1.24 billion in retail sales creating $651.9 million in salaries and wages, and supporting more than 24,000 jobs. The total economic effect (multiplier effect) from fish and wildlife-related recreation was estimated at $2.3 billion.
http://utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com/ Thanks Bryan Gregson801-633-5399www.utahcutthroat.com
PS - If anyone has received any contact from their legislatures, please contact me asap!!
____________________________________________________________________
FEB. 12th
ACTION ALERT! - Bill HB 187
http://le.utah.gov/~2009/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0187.htm

We now ask you to start calling and visiting your Representatives!
As all of you know HB 187 was released to the public. This Bill is a direct attack on water users. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the citizens of Utah. No longer will we sit and watch as our leaders overlook the masses for a select few. Right now we are faced with a powerful bill that threatens our way of life, our water and our greatest valuable resource. There are those that would like nothing else but to put shackles and chains on our beloved rivers and steams. Together we must rise to the occasion and face this drastic act of injustice. We must all fight for our waters freedom.

Please be advised that the following events will be subject to LAST MINUTE NOTICE. We are giving you a heads-up to what lies ahead, so be prepared to act.
P Committee Hearing s V we need to pack the house with bodies, standing room only. Our goal is 200 people! Please come and bring a friend. We need your participation. You need to be here!

P Press Conference - At the Capitol. Tues or Wed @8am.Bring your family, friends, children, waders, boats, kayaks and soul. After, we are moving inside for a face to face and will be sending notes into our legislators.

P Phone Bank V The first wave was a success. We were heard loud and clear. Although we still can send in emails, we are not moving into the next phase. We now ask that you to pick up the phone and CALL your Representatives! We will be coordinating the calls with all active groups. A "point of interest" sheet will be provided to all for reference.

Keep our waters free!
Bryan
www.utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com

Lees Ferry

2009-02-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

I have been to a lot of fly fishing destinations all over the world and few rival the experience that I had visiting the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. This trip was was full of the unknown and much anticipation. As we transversed the Rockies on our way to the dessert we were meet with snow, wind and rain until we finally reached the sunny dessert floor and 68 degree temps.
Friday Feb 6th found Hancey and I wading into the rough waters of the 1 mile an1/2 walk in section of the river. As we strung up our ham-n-eggs (San Juan-Glow Bug) and on my second cast Bam! My indicator shoot up river and I was hooked up with a hot Lees Ferry Bow. When I netted the fish it was glowing red like a Steelhead. By far the most colorful wild Rainbow I have ever caught and a great start to our trip.

I am going to let the pics tell most of the story...They do a lot better job

My new Korkers Streamborn boots...First time in a long time I didn't have cold uncomfortable feet. I love um

In the last hour we hooked up with 5 nice bows leaving us excited and wanting more...fast riffles and zebra midges were the ticket as the evening hatch surrounded us

The culture and atmosphere of this dessert lodge was one of my favorite aspects of the trip. Everyone at the small dinner were fishermen and everyone was having a good time. Great feeling.

Tying up some flies for the morning...We meet a couple very nice guys from Georgia who let us sit with them for dinner. After a 5 Star rack of ribs we were set to share a boat for the morrow with our new fishing friends. (Ed and Brock)

Cliff Dwellers Lodge (fly fisherman's heaven)

Stuffed Biscuits and Gravy!!! Freakin Amazing Cafe

Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell)

19 inch Bow, big fish of the trip

Look at those spots!!! Wild Wild Rainbow

Only Green Grass in the area

Brock

This was the hardest fighting buck bow I caught all trip

Prep for the morning...We tied flies, Cleaned our lines(first time ever for me) watch fish porn, tied up our outfits and came up with strategies for the morning.

The last day was a little colder, but since it was supposed to rain everyday I can't complain. It didn't rain on us once.

Hey Hancey "Go smoke a cigarette" " My boat is faster than yours" We had a run in with some AZ guys...Hancey took care of that by telling the river controlling freaks to stick it where the sun don't shine...Idiots...But the best was when I caught two fish in a row and on the second they yelled out "F...You!" I just thought, thanks!

Hancey cleaned house with fish after fish in the fast riffles. These smart trout made us work for ever fish we caught. The cold front didn't help out much either...I guess when the guides are struggling it is tougher fishing. (Not for Skip, 30 fish on 9X with a beginner, right) Nymphing 7X in big water is tough fishing anywhere in the world.

In all this was a very rewarding trip. I have gained some great insite on fishing, life and the untouched beauty of this amazing eco system. Most of all it was valueable time spent doing what I love with old friends and new.

Hunting Tibble Forks Weary Wild Browns

2009-02-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

River inlet-to the left is the shallow flats where the wild browns roam

Tibble Fork has the 2nd most beautiful water in Utah. First being Bear Lake of course. It is a gem being so close to the Utah County area. It looks like you had a perfect weather day Hoss. The thing I love about Tibble is that you can fish Midges 365 days a year on this lake (on the east side in the shallows for cruising wild browns up to 18 inches). In a way its like flats fishing on the ocean. You have to spot your target and really make a great presentation or these weary fish will bolt for cover. When I fish it I use a long 12 ft leader with 7X tippet and nothing larger than size 24 midges.(black, brown, gray) The secret I have found over the years is in the retrieve. You have to see what they want for the day. Dead Drift, Skittering the surface, or the twitch. (Skittering is very effective to make your fly stand out over the others) These shallow water browns (1-2 feet of water) are some of the hardest fish in the state to catch.

You really have to be on your A game to have a chance at fooling one of these fish. Its kinda the same reason why "The Ranch" is so famous on the Henry's Fork river in ID. The reward and challenge of catching wise fish on small dry flies is truely the next step in ones dry fly fishing progression. But the nice thing about Tibble is that after you get humbled by shallow wild browns you can move to the rivers inlet and catch stocked rainbows all day long on little wolley buggers or a para adams and dropper. The best Midge hatch occurs at first light and at dusk in the summer. I rule of thumb is Midges usually hatch at the most comfortable part of the day. If anyone ever wants to chase these fish let me know and I'll try to make it out with ya.

Dr G

I Love Sun and Snow!!!

2009-02-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we got caught up on Flight of the Concords- season 2 and hit the Mtn. for a little relaxation with my wifey. The day was perfect and the snow was, well hard as rock.

As for my fly fishing, I have been planning out my trip to Lees Ferry for the weekend. I am really stocked to hit this amazing strectch of river that I have dreamed of experienceing for years. In my prep for the river I have found myself at the the vise almost daily. I find it odd that I have 1000's of flies, but I never fill complete or statified with my fly inventory. I guess thats a good thing...I have also been thinking a lot about the stream access debate. It seems odd to me that this is even a debateable issue. Water is something that humans have fought over for years, I hope that this issue can get resolved and that all parties are treated equal and most of all that $ isn't the deciding vote. Water can't be owned, no matter how hard we try we can't keep it in one place or another. It is as free spirited as the users that love it.

Rainy Miserable Awesome Day

2009-01-26T15:49:00.000-08:00

I have always been a big proponent of always having a positive attitude. No matter how crappy a situation may be I try and find the good in it. Really if you think about it, what makes something bad? Its our prospective and the way we see things. So it comes all down having a positive attitude all the time, PERIOD!

Enough of that, this past weekend has been one for the record books. I woke up Sat morning with the hope of fresh powder and untouched mountain slopes, but to my surprise I was welcomed with gray rainy skies. I was optimistic that up at Sundance the weather would be colder and the snow would be welcoming us. Once again when we got to the parking lot, Liz and I were met by a river of mud-water running down the upper lot. Crap I though! The morning was ruined at least for the moment. We left the parking lot not even getting out to face the pouring ran. The next thing I knew it I was driving past the Provo and I couldn't help but think that fishing only gets better in the ran. With that on my mind I was either going to hit the Provo or work on the ole drift boat for a few hours. So I loaded up the Jeep with tools and fishing gear and I was off. As I got to the canyon turn off it was a moment of choice. I though what the heck the boat can wait. So when I reached the Provo it was only sprinkling and I was physced to be out. I walked down the path and was greeted by 5 other groups of fishermen. Dang it was busy for a stormy day...O well I started below them and worked my way up to the hole I was wanting to fish. I was hoping to see some midges, but the longer I stayed on the river the harder the rain came. I finally reached my favorite winter midge hole and nothing was happening except for windy rain. I got into the right spot for a good drift and on my second cast Wham!!! I had a nice fish trying to pull my rod out of my hand. The fight was intense and just what I was hoping for. From the fast, strong runs I knew I was a fat rainbow. Every time I got it close to the bank it would take 20 yards of line. This must have happened 5 times before I had to switch hands to relieve my burning forearm. I couldn't believe the the fight this fish put up. As I finally got it to the bank I was surprised to see the girth it had. It was the fattest bow I had caught in a while. After that fight I started to realize that I was soaked to the bone and it was a chilly 34 degrees and the rain was not about to let up. I guess when ur focused only on catching fish you don't really notice your surroundings to much. It was a great note to end on... and a fun 2 hrs on the river.

See the rain in the pic above(look at the water)

Since Liz and I struck out at Sundance, we were determined to find fresh snow. I called Brighton and they let me know that it had been snowing all day...Done, we were headed up to go night boarding. Just as expected it was an amazing night of untouched deep powder and perfect conditions...It was by far one of my favorite boarding days of my life.

Dr Gillespie's 2009 Fishing Goals

2009-01-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

2009 Fishing Goals

1. Explore the Boulder Mtns-Big Brookie, Col Cutt, Yellowstone Cutt, and Tiger
2. Snake River-Tetons Float
3. Green River Float/Camp A,B,C
4. South Fork Float/Camp (Canyon)
5. Research/Fish Wind Rivers- Golden Trout
6. Research Stillwater Fishing (Chronmids)
7. Research/Plan Alaska-Do It Yourself Trip
8. Complete Fly Inventory
9. Catch Musky, Striper and Carp on Fly Rod.
10. Hit a Salmon Fly Hatch

*Coronia- Rhino Bottom, Rod Holders, Cover, Repaint Trailer

Last Weeks Recap: With a new work schedule, I haven't been able to hit the river 5 days a week like in the past. In fact I go to work in the dark and leave in the dark. (Pretty sad, but I love my new job!) In the past week I have be doing quite a bit of research/planning of new waters I want to fish and tying fly boxes for each of those locations. It is the half of fly fishing that most never get to enjoy and it has been keeping me from going crazy this cold winter. I am itching to head down south in search of big bows and beautiful scenery, but the fresh pow and the world class snowboarding in our own back yard has kept me more than occupied.

My wish is that 2009 brings many days along a timber lined stream or lake in search of healthy trout and memories that will last forever.

Dr. Gillespie

A New Year And Some...

2009-01-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

These these past few weeks have been pretty crazy, but not crazy enough to keep me from doing what I do best and that is enjoying the great outdoors. Work and the holidays have really cut into my consistent posts. I just accepted a new position and with training my replacement and being trained myself, I have had no time to even open the Internet or even think about it. But looking into the future, it is a small price to pay for a big payoff in the end and best of all more free time. So enough of that! Here is a recap of my last couple weeks.
Since the snow has been flying I have been hitting the Mtns as much as I could, taking advantage of the "greatest snow on earth". The wife and I once again got season passes to Sundance and it has become a second home for us these past few years. Snowboarding to me is an escape from the rules of life. Like fly fishing it gives me an escape from reality and during the time I'm on the mtn nothing else matters except for what is 5 feet in front of me. Its living in the moment at its finest. But the nice thing about snowboarding is that the worst the weather gets the better it is. So when most fly fishermen are complaing in about the long winter, I am smiling and waiting for the next big storm...But to explain my obsession I hit the mtn 6 times in the first week and a half of the season and since then been almost ever weekend.

With all this snowboarding, I have also made it a priority to keep myself balanced this winter. On Dec 19th the Gillespie crew decided to try our luck and hit Strawberry for some early season ice fishing. It was a good and bad idea. The lake was only 10% froze (bays) and when we drilled our first hole it was only 1 1/2 to 2 inches of ice. (stupid) Luckily we didn't have any problems, but just as luck has it the fishing was slow and the weather was terrible. We left frozen and wondering if we really knew what we were doing.

The day after X-mas Liz and I left for a weekend at our friends cabin in Lava Hot Springs. The back country boarding rocked!

Then for New Years we left again for Bear Lake and another nice warm mtn cabin. This time we snowshoed, snowmobiled and just relaxed in the sweet cabin.

With Fri being my older bro's last day in town from Cali. We decided to make it a good one. We hit the marsh for some duck hunting in the morning (and the evening before, Jer killed it bagging 3 drake mallards) without any luck. Then played some intense b-ball, and followed up with a stop by the lower Provo and some prefect weather fly fishing. It was a great evening to be on the river the temps were a remarkable at 40 degrees and our eyelets never froze once, which is crazy for Jan 2. The bit was good and in a short 1 1/2 hours Gun and Jer were able to land a handful and miss many more. In fact it was a perfect ending to a great few weeks of having my best friend home for the holidays. On Sat with the weather report of 12 inches of fresh "pow" I was back on the mtn cutting through the trees and floating on the soft Utah Powder.

I love Utah. Where else can you snowboard 13 world class resorts in a day, duck hunt, fly fish, ice fish, boat, see magical red rock formations and the whole time be the second driest state??? It has it all and a lot left over...

Fishing With Friends

2008-12-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

Fishing with friends is always a welcoming treat. For the past week I have been hitting the water solo. I guess getting off work at 3pm is not the norm for everyone else??? Hoss and I got to the river, I picked up a couple scrappy little browns, hung out with and old timer...Lloyd? (he gave us a fly he swears by) We moved down river into my honey hole, where we continue to pick up post spawn browns in deep slow moving water. It was a nice day to be out the temps were 40* and the sunset was the catch of the day.

7ft 5-6wt Fiber glass Rod-Every fish feels huge!

The next time out Wayne and I hit the LP. This time the day light never stuck around long enough for us to key into the numbers, but instead gave us a shot at a couple nice browns. (20+) We left the river frozen, but with a new confidence in big fish and frozen eyelets. The Pics tell the story.

To me fishing with friends takes on a different feeling than fishing solo. When I'm fishing with someone else I am more worried about the other person than myself. The success of the day is usually measured by the success they have rather than my own. But on the other hand my little bro Jordan has a way of making me want to out fish him ever outing. He is one of the best fishermen I know and is constantly making me progress to a new level. I guess that's what happens when the student starts to surpass the teacher.

It's Mr Brown

2008-12-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

I have hit the Provo that last couple nights solo...It's funny how a little cold has scared all the fisherwomen away. I'm not complaining I love the river to myself...It gives me a chance to think without worring if some idiot is going to try and walk through my hole.

20+ Torpedo

Eggs are good!

Frozen Waders, Frozen Feet, Frozen Eyelets

21 inch hog that hit on my last cast of the night at dark:30

I can never get enough of the fall colors. The Blues, Yellows, and Reds

Rainbow Deprived (Part 3)

2008-12-08T16:59:00.002-08:00

Saturday brought a new light and an opportunity to try a new location. I had decided on the Weber River above Echo, but as I was about past the Daniels turnoff, I decided to cutt down the x-mas tree first and fish the Provo as it empties into Deer Creek for running Bows. After a two hour detour trying to find the perfect tree, the tree was on the Jeep

and the 12 degree temp was now around 25* I fished the upper water first with only a 17' brown, so I moved lower and got into a nice little side stream and finally got into the red striped rainbows I was dreaming about.

After a couple hours of fun I cruised down to meet Jeff, Grif and John. We had decided earlier to meet at 12pm and go form there. I talked them into hitting my productive little stream. The situation had changed dramatically in just a day. With it being Sat. the river had already been hitt hard all morning and the fish still had sore lips. Also there were too many fisherman for such a small stream, but we delt with what we had and between the four of us still managed to catch and release over 20 bows. As the sun disappeared behind Timp. our day came to and end on this stream.

I dropped off Jeff and Grif and headed straight for my brown honey hole to see if they were still there in numbers. As I approached my hole I was greeted by high flying browns and I knew that the day would end just right. In the last 30 mins of daylight I caught 4 browns over 17', but it was my last fish that sealed the deal.

It was a picture perfect brown, measuring 20'. It was dark, but yet golden yellow.

As I released the beautiful fish to be caught again, I knew my day was complete. I walked straight out of the river and back to reality. I had left my house at 6am and returned at 6 pm without a single meal or break to relax. As I was thinking on my 15 min drive home, I couldn't help think about what I had accomplished in my days outing. I had done everything I set out to do and in the process gained a deeper understanding of God, life, career, goals, friendship and nature all while fly fishing. Some people can't beleive I take fly fishing to the extreme levels that I do, but until they feel and experience what I have. I will still laugh.

I am rainbow deprived

Rainbow Deprived (Part 2)

2008-12-08T16:59:00.001-08:00

When I returned from New York the fallowing Thursday, I was hoping to be greeted by a blanket of snow, but to my surprise. I returned to 50 degree weather and less snow then when I left.

So instead of opening day at Sundance I would hit my favorite little stream in search of yet more large running bows. I fished from 1pm until 5pm. It was an amazing day on the river!!! I stared at the inlet and worked my way back to the Jeep. In every promising spot I would hook up with bow after bow on my little 6ft 2# and these fish were bigger and better fighters then last weeks batch. The average fish ran around 16' and was bright and radiant like a colorful rock star.

(Two casts produced these two)

I couldn't believe that I was the only one on the river with so many nice fish. I don't like to count fish, but that day it didn't matter because I couldn't count that high anyway.

Tail Slap!!!

So Rainbow Deprived! (Part 1)

2008-12-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

I had been hitting the brown trout spawn pretty hard and felt a a little deprived from their northern cousins the rainbow trout. I know a few good waters that have falling running bows so I decided the last few times out to target them excusively. The Friday after Thanksgiving was my last free day before a week in New York, so I decided to make the most of my free day. With a text from Mallary and Greg at 6:30 am the days line up was set and a little 5 foot stream would be are playing field. The morning was brisk with a new thin layer of snow that banketed the surrounding mountains.

It was a beautiful morning and a good sign of good things to come. We fished the upper section of the stream with constant success for 12-17' bows.As we moved up river and past a large beaver dam we switch from the running bows to local browns. I hooked up first and Greg finished the day strong with a par of brown with one pushing 18'.

We left the river early with a sense of accomplishment and frustration (Mallary, had one of those days were her hubby out fishes her and she gets all the tangles) We had visited the river early before the crowds, caught the bigger fish and left before 12...

Jeff, Griffin, Gun and Brown Trout

2008-11-28T05:34:00.000-08:00

The stage was set, the plans were made we were going to hit the Lower Provo Weds afternoon and this time we were after quantity and in the back of our minds quality. But just like all great fishing days(which are less than more) we received both. Gun and I met Jeff and his son Grif at the mouth of the canyon and were on the river by 3:15 pm. The first spot we when to was slower and only produced a two Browns in 30 mins, so we pushed on to more productive and less fished water.

When we arrived everything looked perfect the fish were jumping like they had mad fish disease and seemed aggressive and ready to play. Within casts Jeff was hooked up with a 16' Brown and from there the game had just begun. Next Grif hooked up, but the Big Brown (Which was pushing 20+ leaped out of the water and threw his hook. After that it was kinda a blur. For the next two hours we had constant action on 16-19' Browns and one Fat Bow, except for Gun who spent most of his time untangling his line. It was so good that Jeff, who had the hot hand all night continued to fish through the cold dark night (with the aid if Grifs flashlight, following the indicator) and still managed to land three more fish in complete darkness. It was fun and almost like a team sport. It is little outings like this that make me sit back and think , "Man we only fished for two and a hour hours, but we managed to reach our goals we set out to fulfil and give Jeff his most successful trip fly fishing. Man what if we had all day?"

Unwritten Rules of Fly Fishing

2008-11-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

Like all sports Fly Fishing has its own set of unwritten rules that all true fly fishermen stand by...If you don't you....Coming soon, I still need to collect my thoughts a little longer

Rainbows Spawn in the Spring, Right?

2008-11-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

There are certain places I feel I have to fish each year during specific seasons. If I don't get the chance to make it out, I almost feel cheated and saddened about the lost tradition. So with this in mind. On Friday, I was only going to work until 11am and then meet up with Hoss for a little fishing on a local stream. This weeks fishing destination was a small stream that holds some nice Bows that think it is the spring I guess. I don't know what it is about this location, but for whatever reason it is, the bows move out of the lake and spawn in the late fall instead of the Spring. Maybe one followed a Brown and the rest fallowed like sheep??? When we got to the inlet we started working our way up the small stream. In our first location I quickly hooked up with 3 smaller Bows and got the question off our back to if they were running. As we moved up river we found the perfect smaller eddy. We caught fish after fish. I was amazed how many fish were holding in the little 10 foot run. That couldn't have been deeper than 4 feet and 5 feet wide. After that Hoss and I moved from spot to spot looking for a hog, and catching 12 inch bows, with an occasional 15'. The other amazing thing was the weather we have been having. Its the end of Nov. (21st) and I was wearing a t-shirt and was still hot. This past week has been one of the best weather weeks I can remember in the history of late season fishing. If this keeps up we won't be ice fishing this year. Pics are limited...due to a slippery camera and water...but Hoss came to the rescue and gave me his secret: put the camera on the jeep dash and crank up the heat and dry it out completely. I did it and when I got home it was as good as new. It was a great time spent with Hoss and the tradition that burns in my heart lives on.

Fly Fishing with a Pro

2008-11-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

Yeasterday I was lucky to have the chance to Fly Fish the Provo River with my good friend and former Professional Baseball Player Jared Fernandez. Jared now focases his professional ablity on fly fishing and duck hunting, which he's already a pro. We had a great time yesterday and I learned something new, which was an added bonus. (my new egg pattern works!!!) The catching started out slow, with all the pressure that they had faced earlier in the day. We finally moved down to our honey hole and within an hour we were in double digits. With our hands were frozen stiff and being the last on the river at dark:30, we decided to call it quits. It was great to get out with such a great friend and someone that has accomphished so much in his life.

Paying Your Dues

2008-11-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

This is an issue I have been debating over the past year and fishing the Provo last night has finally has pushed me to share my thoughts on the issue. I grew up hearing all the quotes about working hard for what you get..."Practice makes perfect", "Step by Step", "If you work harder than the rest, you will be the best", etc... from my personal experience and through countless trials and errors, I have found this concept to be completely true. If you want something or want to be great at something, than you must pay your dues. "Paying My Dues" is a concept I have gained over my years of playing traditional sports in high school and college. It is equally important in any activity that one pursues and especially crucial in ones progression in Fly Fishing. The key to the concepts success is the level of desire/passion of the pursuer. This is simple, some really want to be great, some kinda do, some do, but are scared, some do, but don't want to invest the time, and some just don't care and enjoy being average. This level of desire/passion is something that isn't(can't) taught, but is within each of us and is our personal driving force. Levels of desire can change as one decides to. For example my little sister always came fishing with us boys, but she really didn't care if she caught a fish or not. She would usually fish for an hour and then spend the remainder of the day reading a book or hiking around. But as her desire/passion of Fly Fishing grew over the years, through learning and practice. She now spends all day fishing and leaves the book in the Jeep. On the last trip to the Green she had close to a 20 fish day!!! In Fly Fishing it is pretty easy to get to the point of going to a river tying on a fly and catching a fish or two. I consider that the first plateau and where 95% of fly fishermen are. These are the guys who catch fish, but can't tell you why it happened, it just does, they are also the ones that fish maybe 1-2 times per month and mostly on weekends. The other 5% and the second ptateau (which is a lot harder to reach) are the ones that are passionate about their sport! They eat, drink and sleep fly fishing. They are the ones that if they did have to think about anything, they would think about fly fishing and getting better. They are the ones that have "Paid Their Dues" over long hours on the river or lake not just fishing, but studying and being taught. Most of their favorite books are fishing related and the Internet sites the same. They hunger to learn and are passionate about getting to that next level. They are never content with 30 fish, but are usually after that one that will challenge everything they got. When you ask them how they did they just quietly shake their head and say OK. To them its not the quantity that makes a successful trip, but the feelings remembered. Most would rather fish alone. I only know a handful of these legends

So what I am trying to say is like everything in life, to be good at that thing, one desires or is passionate about, one must personally pay their dues to reach the level they desire. Nothing in my life that is worth while has come free or easy. I have spent countless hours practicing Baseball that helped put me through College...and in fly fishing I didn't have anyone to teach me the basics. I had to learn the sport alone with a $20 wal-mart special and in a way it made me into a better fly fishermen for it.

So if you want to progress to the next level here's my suggestions:

Go fishing and learn from your own trials and errorsDon't have someone do everything for you.
Tie your knots, net your own fish, find your own spot, figure out what flies to use.(It doesn't help you to have someone to lean on, what if their not there?)
Gain more knowledge. (Read, watch, ask questions, Internet, etc...)
Spend the time-each season is different and the only way to know is to experience it
Don't get down...Fly Fishing is hard and learning new techniques can take time.
Think like a fish, really!!! Not like a human...Stop and use your brain
Hangout and learn form others who know, then try it

Side Note: Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite aspects of Fly Fishing is taking people out and helping them to catch fish. There is nothing better than seeing someone new to the sport get so excited when he or she hooks up with a fish. I like to think of that as the introduction phase, deciding if they like Fly fishing or not. But it is those that have passed the intro phase and are on to the second plateau that I focusing this to.

My wish and hopes is that all fishermen can find there own path to happiness, no matter what that be or where it may lead them.

I am a solo fishermen,

Dr Gillespie

In the mean time check out a couple quotes that I dug up out of my desk at work:

"There are really only two types of Fly Fishermen, those that make it a lifestyle and those they wished they could" Angler Addiction

On Fly Fishing "This is a game best played with your head and not your hand. You will catch more fish" Norm A

Limited Time=Lots of Fish

2008-11-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

This past week has been one of intense and focused fishing. With only a mere 2 hours of fishing (3:30-5:30pm) I would cut out the wondering and focus on runs that would produce big healthy Browns. For the amount of time I fish it has been really good this past week...

Tues-Nov 11th (See other post)

Weds-Nov 12th Fished with Gunner-Sight Fishing for Hooked Jaw Browns (Sorry no pics, forgot camera)

Thurs-Nov 13th-Solo and Bad Weather- I decided to mix things up and film a couple fish before the storm got to rainy...It was a great night for fish numbers....(TP) See below

Fri-Nov 14th-Met Hoss on the River around 2pm...Fished #24 BWO to risers with constant hookups on smaller Browns. Decided to move up the river in search for running Browns. Hoss hooked up with a hog and had to run...

As I was left solo on the river I decided to work my way up river with sight fishing and the hopes of a 25+inch Brown...I never found my Brown, but with the perfect lighting and a beautiful fall color Brown it was a trophy to be had at 20 inches

Just Cool Pics...Am I Pro? After one of the windiest afternoons the evening graced myself with the perfect ending to a pretty perfect day..."Only if I wouldn't of lost that one"

Sat-Nov 15th-Stillwater-I don't want to talk about it...I got my butt kicked...again

Monday- Nov. 17th

We set out to catch some Browns and hopefully get Gunner some more practice landing big fish. It was his best out so far and one that will help him progress into a great fishermen. I didn't help him one bit...Atta boy Gun

"Do think I can catch one first cast?" Yep Gun
Gunner and I fished until our hands were froze and the fish were to easy to hook. It was a good night.

Browns, Browns, Browns and More Browns!

2008-11-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

I left work at 3pm and headed straight for the Provo. I always have my fishing gear in the back of the Jeep so I don't waste any unnecessary time. It stinks, but the smell of wet waders and boots is just a small price to pay to play longer. Plus its a Jeep...its supposed to look and smell like the mountains...Right! As I reached my location for the evening fishing I was instantly surprised to find I had the river to myself. (The payoff for fishing weekdays, Tues) I put my wader on over my work pants and my coat over my collared shirt. As I reached the battle ground, my eyes were wondering for the first sign of active fish. I spotted my first run and it seemed very fishy. After a tree, I instantly was hooked up with a scrappy Brown, that gave me more than Rocky.

That fish must of been a sign of good things to come...because my next two casts produced great strikes and on the third I hooked up with one of the meanest looking male Browns I have landed all year.

I decided to switch spots and give the fish in that run a chance to regroup. I decided to fish a run that I knew should produce, but didn't the last time out. This time I was going to be smarter. I got on the right side of the stream where I could make a good long cast and have the my flies dead drift over about 50 feet of water. The run went from 2-3 feet riffles to a gradually ledge that put the big fish deep enough to stay out of harms way. After a couple fish. I was able to dial them into the ledge that was very promising for a big fish.

My next cast I put my flies in the prefect spot and just like clockwork, as my flies cleared the ledge, my indicator shot down and I was hooked up with a fish that leaped out of the water. At the time I didn't realized its size, but as it hunkered down in the deep run, I knew I was in for a fight. After 5 strong runs and a sore forearm I was able to get the magnificent Brown in hand. It had all the characteristics of a wise large Brown. Its coloration was amazing, it was unlike many Browns I have scene. It had big dark spot on its back, followed by blue/red spots, and a distinct bluish-gold body. It was the fish I have been after and a true prise for any fishermen. A quick measurement put the Brown at 22 1/2 inches.

After a fish like that I could have been skunked and I wouldn't of cared...But it turned out almost to good to be true. In the next 3 casts I hooked up and landed 3 Browns that would all break the 18 inch mark...

By this time I almost felt I had had may share, but one last cast into the dark night produced once again a Brown in the 19 inch class. It was an incredible night and one that I will some not forget. Man am I a lucky man to have such an amazing river only 15 mins form my door step.

Tribute To The Dean of the Green Denny Breer

2008-11-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

The world has lost one of its best, but Denny will still be here...I was saddened to read the news that Denny Breer had pasted away in an accident...I though this can't be true??? I just spoke with him the Friday before his passing. As the reality set in a deep feeling of sadness filled my body...Denny was more than a friend to me and anyone else he was around. He was one of my Fly Fishing Hero's! Every time I visited the Green River I made it a priority to stop by the shop and talk to Denny and Emmit. I loved to soak in the knowledge that they had obtained over their lifetimes. They were best friends and the two most respected men on the Green. Denny has been a constant leader in the conservation of the river he loved dear. He went out of his way to help the rivers future and in doing so has made it one of the best rivers in the World. Denny was truly a remarkable man and fishermen. His influence and impact that he has made over his lifetime is truly remarkable. Denny will live on, in each and everyone that he has touched...I am going to miss you friend...I'll catch that big one for ya!!!

Chris, Travis and Not Dane...

2008-11-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

Almost a year ago a group of co-workers took a trip into the Mtns in search of catching a trout for the first time on a fly rod. That day turned out to be a complete success with 50+ trout coming to hand. This Saturday morning a similar outing was designed but, with the intent of refining our skills and taking our fishing levels to new heights. Everything was going as planned, but, just as luck would have it Dane was no where to be scene at 8am. So Chris and I headed up to a section of river that was a sure bet and a spot to raise our confidence. The fish were running strong and the catch rate was off the charts. (I have never scene them that thick) We only fished from 9 am- 12:30pm, but that was enough we must have caught and released over 30-40 fish and quick released that many. It was a fun morning and time well spent and remembered. Too bad Dane, too bad... Did I mention it was the perfect fishing day. 50+ degrees, no wind and sunny on Nov 8th while we were fishing in the sun, others were Skiing at Snowbird only 45 mins away. I love the diversity of Utah.

Look close and you might be able to see some fishes!!!

Today we only used 3 flies Glow Bugs, Copper Johns and Brassies

Big Fish of Trip maybe 17'

In memory of the Dane Pose!

Blast from the Past

2008-11-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

The First Float with the New Drift Boat. Oct 2005

Some of my Favorites from The Green River

Family Memorial Day Trip 2006

Gunner and the Brown

My Fishing Teacher: My Grandpa introduced me to the art of fishing and I have never been the same since. He is truly a fine fishermen and a great man I respect!

Lake Powell 2004: This is when I knew she was a keeper, the only girl I know who didn't mind cleaning hog Stripers.

Green Jer & Jord...Its the body language that tells the story

The Berry Ice Fishing

Huntington Res. First Tiger through the ice...

The trip that change my life...First time to the Green with the youth group

Green Post Mission

Fall on the Provo 2004

High Country Brookies 2004

After Work, Work!

2008-11-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

There are certain seasons,times, hatches, and locations that really draw my interest. Almost like clock work when the calender reaches that glorious month of November the Lower Provo captures my complete attention. For the past two nights I have hit the rivers shallows in pursuit of large Brown Trout. I am looking for one fish and one take. Over the past two nights I haven't had that chance, but the payoff of all the searching has been given in the quantity of fish not the size. I'll keep looking for that one and pray that when I do, I'll make the perfect cast and my knots hold true...Because you only get one, or just maybe two chances

Thursday Night Sole and the Hares Ear...

Friday Night with Brent and the rest of the world...Gotta love those days

Pure! Proud! Freedom for the Future!