The Beginning.....

Almost frozen

During a recent move, I came across my 2012 ‘Bucket List’ that included “fly fish once a month.”  Fly fishing was just going to be an “I feel-like-being-outside-today” activity, yet my once a month goal has become more of a weekend ritual & in my first year, I logged about 40-50 days on the water.  I fished all year; sweated my butt off in the summer & I froze my butt off in the dead of winter.

It’s been quite the journey full of frustrations, cuss words, beautiful fish, beautiful scenery, & endless happy memories.  It’s interesting (at least to me) to look back at my photos & actually see the progress I’ve made. I’ve thought a lot about what my biggest frustrations have been. I’m sure there’s more I can list, but here’s the top ones:

One massive nymph rig knot

 

Nymphs stuck in my fingers

Back Cast- Simply put, it’s all over the place! I’ve lost flies to the shortest of weeds, to high up in the trees.  Every single person I’ve fished with tells me the same thing: “Watch your back cast” or, “Slow it down”.  You would think after hearing it over & over again, I would get it, but it continues to be a struggle. Probably my biggest struggle.  Truth be told, I’m pretty much a weakling so to get farther casts, I equate speed to strength.  Obviously this is not the case, as proven by multiple pile casts! When I actually watch my casts, I can do it properly…but after watching a few, I revert to old habits. I wish a bark collar of sorts existed for bad back casts; I bet if I got zapped every time my back cast failed, I’d learn a lot quicker! I’m not sure how to correct this. Maybe just continued practice & forcing myself to watch my casts until my body naturally moves with proper form.  When I first started, I had some wicked wrist action going on, but found wearing a simple hair band around my wrist & slipping the butt of the rod in the band, kept the rod in proper position.

My very first fish

Gear- I’m not sure I can change anything here, but fishing gear for women sucks.  I’m not entirely sure why the hunting, skiing/boarding, skating, surfing, etc. industries can figure it out, but the angling industry cannot.  Even the “women” styles are clearly not made for women. The waders are just slimmed down men sizes & last I checked I have different curves than a man does.  Same goes for the vests & waist packs, just smaller sizes.  It just doesn’t work.  Sure, Simms will customize sizes, but sorry Simms, I don’t have $800 to give you & I’m willing to bet the majority of women (especially those starting out) don’t either.  I know that companies like Redington, Simms, Orvis, etc. are working on them, but perhaps the designers could have chats with Browning or Red Head over in the hunting world to help them out. That’s enough about that!

 Patience- Yes. I admit it. I am wickedly impatient & now it’s out there for the whole world to read!  I can’t help it. Or maybe I can…but either way, patience is kind of a big deal in the sport of angling. I can say though, that I am more patient that I was a year ago. Scary really, but progress is progress!  Every new technique I try, I say the same thing, “I can’t do it.” “This is lame.” “I don’t want to do this.” Luckily, my stubbornness outweighs my impatience & I finally buck up! I should try & take my own advice here, but slow down, breathe, realize its not a sprint & slow & steady growth is just fine. 

Fishing adventures with Beard

Fishing Friends- I know, this sounds like a positive rather than a negative but in this case it’s both. I have been extremely fortunate to fish with amazing anglers, but with my level of aforementioned impatience, combined with self-set super high standards, I’ve frequently had to remind myself to relax & remember my fellow anglers have been fishing for 20+ years versus my one year. Let’s take Beard for example.  He’s good. Extremely good. I’m not saying that because he’s my other half, I say it because of his abilities. I’ve never met anyone that can fish like him or offer his level of consistency.  Beard can walk up to any river, cast twice, maybe three times & catch a fish & it will be at least 18 inches. This isn’t an exaggeration. Beard it the Trout Whisper. Beard, I have no doubt, was a beastly brown, in his past life. I’ve learned an immense amount from Beard, but if I were to be completely  honest, there have been days I'm so annoyed fishing with him & just don’t understand, if I’m doing the same thing as him (sans the bad back cast) I can’t catch anything!  BUT!!!!!  There was one day that I DID out fish Beard & that was awesome. Just awesome!!  In the end, I appreciate the lessons I have learned from people like my Dad, big brother, & Beard. I may be a stubborn student, but I do listen & simply must continue to remind myself that I shouldn’t compare 1 year of abilities to those of a veteran angler.(For the record, I did not start fishing because of Beard. Beard came after my addiction was in full swing.)

Happy, happy cold days

 Whew! I feel like I just had some long confessional about my naughty fishing habits! Alas, in the end, I’ve made a lot of advancements & I’m happy with where I’ve ended my first year.  Being able to set up a nymph rig without getting it stuck in my fingers is a plus. I think fishing 40-50 days, 10 different rivers, & 2 states seems a good haul as a newbie. I tied a handful of my own flies that actually caught fish! Fishing through the Colorado winter was a pretty big deal for me.  Catching my much loved 23 ½” brown trout is even a bigger deal to me! To this day that fish makes me grin from ear to ear.  I’m pleased some of my photos were used in a Trout Unlimited article about women anglers, as well as having been a board member for the Colorado Woman Fly Fishers. I’m excited & appreciative to have the support of Cheeky Fly Fishing. Lastly, I am beyond humbled by the support from all of you. I never really thought people would read what I write, let alone continue to read my jumbled writing. Truly & sincerely, thank you!

 

What’s coming in Year 2 of my fishing adventures & Rods, Reels, & Heels?  Well, I hope to come up with a logo, I’m working on an actual website & I’ve got a few other things up my sleeve!  As for fishing, I am going to correct my ugly back casts & focus on having more patience. I’d like to start tying on semi-regular basis & I’d like to do more art via me love of fishing.   I have a solid list of rivers to fish & species to catch. Some have told me it’s a bit hefty for a beginner. Maybe. But, I’d rather get my butt whooped by a fish then not even try (even if I complain)! 

See ya on the river!

Big Dreams in Small Streams

Every where you look, its all about the big one: Johnny Boss Hog. Hogasourus. Hog Johnson. Toad. Pick your name; you already know all the references. Facebook and Instagram are covered in monsters that don't even fit in a net. I subscribed to the "bigger the better" thought for awhile too.  I caught my Colorado Water Hog & I wouldn't be upset if it happened again.  There is a problem with chasing Hogs though: everyone else is chasing Hogs and its more crowded than a happy hour featuring the Jim Beam girls.

 I have to battle rush hour traffic in the concrete jungle 5 days a week. The last thing I want to do on my down time is fight for a spot on the river. (Never mind the jerks that high/low hole you, etc.) Like many of you, fishing is my release. Plus, the Rainbows are spawning & there's even more people to wade through.  I need wide open spaces & wanted to give the spawning bows a chance to...well you know what.

Thus began my love of small streams & little browns. Let's get the touchy, feely stuff out of the way first. The small streams boost some seriously gorgeous scenery. No one for miles around, fresh clean air mixed with the smell of pine, & the buds and blossoms of the Spring. You might even see random pieces of animal parts laying around. Maybe a shed or two. Your small stream might be vastly changed thanks to the hard work of a beaver still busy working on changing the landscape. And, if you're like me (which I'm starting to get the feeling most aren't) you don't even care if catch a fish, you're just happy being out in the great outdoors. Sittin' back against a tree, drinkin' something tasty with your guy/girl/dogs, soakin' in the sun is the life!

Then there's the approach: The ninja fishing skills really get a work out when you have to stand 3 feet back on the bank to cast into a stream that's maybe 2 feet wide whilst trees and various other vegetation make an obstacle course to cast around. If you have an A-Type personality (like I do) this can be both rewarding & annoying. I expect perfection but I produce a cast much less of that! In my case, instead of casting above his face, I cast it right on top of his head, spooking every fish in a 5-mile radius. (Maybe that is why I like the hiking aspect so much, I'm good at that part!)  When you finally get the sneak right & the cast accurate there are fish!

 

The little brownies, 6 inches or so, full of piss & vinegar (as The Beard would say), hitting your dry fly with so much effort you think you may have caught Johnny Boss Hog.  Oh the fun of a 3 weight! The ever territorial browns make the hike to the small stream worth it. Plus, they're cute! I'm always amazed how different the little guys look with spots/colors compared to their larger kin.  Dare I say it, but it seems as though the little ones have more life to them. Almost like they realize they might be the underdog, but they're going to fight like hell.

Perhaps the biggest reason I fell in love with the small streams was simply because of the aggression I witnessed when a larger brown attacked a smaller brown that I had on the fly. I know fish eat fish, this wasn't new to me. I've seen photos with fish in the mouth of another fish.  But SEEING it is an entirely different ordeal. I felt bad for the little guy, then thought it was super cool. Back to feeling bad because I wanted the bigger fish to keep going! I just said they were cute, now here I am saying its cool watching browns duke it out! (This isn't the best quality photo, but it's all I have and even if they were better, pictures do not provide justice)  The bigger of the two didn't eat the little one, he just didn't want him around his area. Touche' Mr Brown, touche'.

Whatever the reason, a Moonshine high in the Rockies, a great day with the Beard, my first sunburn of the year, or feisty little brownies.... I'm a lover of the small streams, even if I catch more trees than fish. A little more practice & a little more stealthiness & I may just never go back to chasing Johnny Boss Hog again.  

Ha, ya right.

Films, Trouts and Goats

It’s been a long time since I’ve written; too long. What can I say; it’s the trout’s fault!

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!

Because there’s lots of winter fishing left to do & the guys over at Goat Head & I both want you to enjoy it without failing on your can, I have a set of Goat Head Sole Spikes to give away! Tell me why (on my blog or over at Rods, Reels & Heels) you need them & one random winner will be chosen for a set of Goat Head Sole Spikes. Contest ends Wendesday, February 6th.

Where The Yellowstone Goes

Earlier this year, I had the fortunate experience of crossing paths with the fabulous Sarah Hall Weeks, producer/editor of Where the Yellowstone Goes. I had watched the trailer on YouTube and as a fly fisher and Montana native, was anxiously looking forward to seeing this film. 

This movie covers every emotion one can have: Its fly fishing, its humor, its life, and it captures the beauty and character of Montana like no other film ever has. (Even sexy fly fishing Brad Pitt didn't do that!) WTYG is thought out, easy to follow, and keeps the audience engaged. You'll want to cuddle with Alby, visit the Cake Ladies, and you will definitely want to visit Montana (maybe even stay!). You'll also see the effects of the Exxon Oil Spill and the efforts to clean up the river and sustain life after. 

Where the Yellowstone Goes made me laugh and cry; I felt a kinship with the people in the film and a longing to get back to my Montana roots. And I was more than ready to sell all my belongings and float the Yellowstone and become a trout bum!

Recently, Sarah and her husband, Hunter Weeks, released Where the Yellowstone Goes on iTunes and its been a huge success. A soundtrack has been released as well, and I might end up wearing out the CD!  It's good....all of it! 

If you haven't seen this film, do yourself a huge favor and watch it!  Sarah and Hunter are also the producers of Ride the Divide.  I don't even own a bicycle, but I to wanted to concur the Continental Divide with pedals and two wheels. 

Check out Where the Yellowstone Goes and then head on over to Rods, Reels & Heels on Facebook for information on how to win a copy of the DVD and CD.

Cold Weather & Big Bows

I was more than comfy cozy, all curled up with my favorite 4-legged buddies, dreaming of unicorns and large pots of gold when I heard the obnoxious beeping of the alarm clock.  I hit snooze once, twice, three times:  It was 4:45am and the weather app on my phone said it was 28 degrees. A four letter word my Mother taught me not to use slipped off my tongue.  I contemplate cancelling. My alarm beeps a fourth time and with an overly dramatic sigh, I climb out of bed.  I scold myself for not setting the coffee pot timer and pray the coffee brews faster today. 

As the coffee percolates, I slowly put on one layer, then a second.  I add a third layer because I know I can get cold in the middle of a heat wave. For good measure, I pack a fourth layer in my pack.  My coffee is ready and I immediately feel like life is being pumped back into me. Thank you Coffee Gods, thank you.

Layered and caffeinated up, I was ready to go fishing!

The closer I got to the river, the more anxious I got. I was fishing with a guy that knew what he was doing; I barely just figured out how to set up a proper nymph rig! The high for the day was expected to be 31 degrees, and I’m known to be a big baby when it comes to the cold. It would be an adventure.

We hoofed it quite a ways down the river and I tried my best to be a tough girl and not complain about the cold.  Rigged up with a San Juan worm and an egg, I was ready to go!  I wanted a fish!  Right now!!!

And fish I got!!!  I started the day out with my first kokanee!  I would have had 3-4 if I could set my hook quicker, or as my friend teased, “stop setting like a girl.” I foul hooked a sucker fish in the belly, and felt terrible because I was so worried I might have hurt him.  Again, my friend kindly pointed out I was being a “weenie”.  It was trout after trout after trout!  Between the two of us, we easily had 20 trout that day.  The biggest (caught by me) was a healthy fat 21inch rainbow hen and the smallest (caught by the ‘pro’) was a 3” brown!  I LOVE the feel of the weight on the line, even if I say “it’s heavy” and giggle like a school girl… nothing beats it!

As I crawled back into my bed that evening, exhausted, haggard, and with smiles for miles; I couldn’t stop looking at my new “fish porn”.  Its funny how I gripe about getting up at 7am to go to work, but I’m anxiously awaiting my next 4:45am ‘fish alarm’. 

That day on the river, I felt as though I was finally getting “it”.  I know I still have plenty of lessons ahead of me and techniques to practice, figure out, and new ones to learn. But that was my day.  It wasn’t even until I got back to the car that I realized I was shivering from the cold and my hands were chapped and frozen! But, at least for one day, it all came together and reminded me, yet again, why I fly fish! 

Tight Lines!