It’s been a great few months! I worked the Colorado Women’s Fly Fishers
booth at the Denver Fly Fishing Show and met a tone of awesome folks including
the cool dudes from Cheeky Fly Fishing,
Allen Fly Fishing,
and Mr. Hopper Juan himself, Juan Ramirez. I
also hit up the International Sportsmen Show; always a ton of people with interesting
stuff that makes me wish I had an endless bank account & endless amounts of
time! Next on the docket is the F3T show. Other exciting news
is that I am now part of the Chasing Tail Media-
a great group sharing the passion & experiences of fly fishing through film
& photography.
Of course, I’ve been on the river a handful of
times. Though I didn’t technically catch anything (I hooked ‘em, but didn’t
hand ‘em), fishing with my Dad & big Brother on the Crooked River over
Christmas was a serious highlight. I even got a new Lamson Konic reel for
Christmas & set it up with some wicked line from Blue Halo Gear. 
A short
while later I was able to break in the reel & line during a Bluebird day with
a temp high of 18 on a monstrous 23 ½ inch brown trout. Biggest fish of my life & a month later I’m still on Cloud 9 because of that guy. Nothing like
catching a Colorado Water Pig with shiny blue cheeks & fins almost as big as
my hands! A few weeks later, I caught my first cutthroat as well. A cuttie has
been on my list since day 1 & 8 months later…..FINALLY! 
Winter fishing has proven to be some serious fun. It’s
tough, the fish are picky, the temps are brutal, but the rewards far outweigh
the downsides. I have layers upon layers & came to the terms that looking like a marshmallow & waddling like a
penguin is okay….the fish don’t care! I
also purchased some Goat Head Sole Spikes
& couldn’t be happier. It’s icy out there & rubber soles just don’t
provide the traction you really need. I’ve
fished with the Goats on my boots on the Crooked River, Colorado River, S Platte,
and even the slicker-than-snot Blue River.
You can actually feel the traction & grabbing of the spikes. It’s like having 4x4 on my feet!
I would love a set of Goat Spikes! While I appreciate the core workout of trying to stay upright in the river, it would be nice to feel secure and just enjoy the water.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to bust my @ss! And since I am sure you don't want me to either, I will gladly give them a new home! I have been wanting a set since before Christmas. I guess Santa thought I was too naughty...
ReplyDeleteThanks,
TheMadPaddler
I really hate falling on my knees in the river! I need 4wd for my feet too!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Fun times!
That is an awesome brown trout! Way to go. Enjoyed the post. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteFound your blog from IG. Great post and nice fish. I need spikes so I don't die while steelheading.
ReplyDeleteBought some for my son and would live to get some for my wife so she can feel safer when we are out on the water.
ReplyDeleteI like to stay upright when I go fishing. I could use some
ReplyDeleteFun having another fly gal to shop with on this journey! Your posts always give me something new to check out! Alas, I am a Hopper Juan fan myself! We need to fish!
ReplyDeleteNext time you are in Colorado you should look up Deborah Mance http://www.theflyfishingwoman.com/ she took me out for the first time this past summer on Eleven Mile and had me in the fish in under ten minutes, best day I had all summer.
ReplyDeleteGreat write up and awesome catches! I look forward to seeing more :) I would like to win the Goat Head Sole Spikes because I am 6ft tall and its a long fall ;P haha - Mostly I carry around my precious camera gear and there is no way with a photographers wage that I could afford new stuff so when I am crossing the rivers I would like to minimize the chances of me falling in the water with that gear.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone, for taking the time to read my blog & participate. Nick Torres is the lucky winner! I'll have more giveaways in the near future!
ReplyDeleteIt was good seeing you at the show. Glad you got to spend a few minutes chatting.
ReplyDeleteJuan