4/12

Czech Nymphing Class for $100

Yes that is correct. A Czech Nymphing Class for only $100. But the classes are limited to High Plains Drifters Fly Fishing Club Members.

The HPD has arranged with Jonathan Keisling of Blue Quill Anglers for two on stream Czech Nymphing classes. One on May 7th and the other on May 21st. The classes are limited to 6 members each and are on a first come – first serve basis. Bring your check books to the HPD April 15th meeting at Red and Jerrys.

How to save money on a Czech Nymphing Class.  If you join HPD for $15 and Federation of Fly Fishers for $35 + the class $100, you get personal instruction in this hot method of nymphing for $150. This is about $200 to $300 less than a typical guided fly fishing day trip. In addition, you get the fine company of other fly fishers in the High Plains Drifters, our trips throughout the year and Club presentations.

To see Johnathan’s presentation on Czech Nymphing, be at Red & Jerrys, Oxford and Santa Fe, April 15th at 6 pm for dinner and social hour. Program starts at 7:00 pm.  More Info

For more info on joining High Plains Drifters PDF.  For the FFF Release Info  PDF. For more info on High Plains Drifters

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
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8/29/08

Clear Creek

Had to tie some hares ears before heading to Clear Creek so did not get started until 10 a.m.  Air temp 78 degrees at noon. CFS at 115, clarity excellent.  Could see bottom 2 feet deep at 15 feet away except in pools with moss on bottom. Fished with some friends from the Federation of Fly Fishers High Plains Drifters club.  One pool was a nice deep one over 3 feet deep and some 12 to 15 feet wide before it shallowed at the edge nearest us with another 10 feet to the stream edge.

Nice browns were hanging along the slow – fast water seam taking emergers about 6 inches below the surface.  My friend Al was using a 3 nymph rig with a beadhead pheasant tail on top and a #20 mercury bead gray sparkle wing RS2 on the bottom.  All the fish Al caught today were on the RS2. 

By the time I got rigged up, Al had caught and landed 3 nice 12 to 14 inch browns.  This is normal size for Clear Creek.  I set up my Orvis Clearwater II, 9 foot, 5 wt, 4 pc rod with a beadhead hares ear on top which is my favorite fly when there is a fast water run feeding a pool. I added a #18 gray thread body RS2 with a white antron wing cut equal to the body length.  This is a longer wing than many use on the RS2 but I have found that the longer wing provides a good "wiggle" to attract fish when using the Leisenring Lift technique.  Usually I like to use a total leader length around 11 feet with this rod.  Terminal tippet material was 18 inches of 6X Rio Flourocarbon tippet that I have been trying out.

Several casts resulted in my first brown of the day.  A scrappy 12 to 14 inch brown.  Several more long casts and drifts later, I  hooked up with another one.  Then I switched to a shorter 15 foot cast and an eight foot drift to get my third fish of the day.

Al had helped Bob get rerigged and set him to fishing the pool below a small water fall feeding into the pool.  Some six casts, Bob hooked and landed his first brown in this pool. Bob was learning to fly fish and it was exciting watching him land this fish. Bob hooked up with a bow a couple of casts later but lost it.

We moved upstream to Dumont and fished the white water riffles west of the bridge in Dumont.  Al took 3 browns in this water on the #20 RS2.  Bob hooked and landed one nice brown.  I fed the river 4 flies. Another fisherman fishing the big pool below the dam upstream hooked 2 nice browns in 4 casts.

I went downstream to fish with my friend Larry and a fellow HPD member Tom.  Larry and Tom were fishing a very large deep pool.  Maybe 3 to 4 feet deep with fast water through it. I made some 30 drifts through the pool before hooking an 11 inch brown.  This was it for me on Clear Creek.  I was off to Bear Creek to try and catch the 15 inch bow I had lost on 8/26.

Bear Creek

Bear Creek was down to 20 CFS which is about as low as I will fish it. My favorite pool was still murky with moss on the bottom of the deepest run. I could occasionally make out the white flash of a fish taking insects midwater column. I continued using my 9 foot rod as it was set up with the gray RS2 as the tail fly.  I tried a white yarn strike indicator, a yellow thingamabobber and no strike indicator. Some 20 casts did not produce any strikes. 

I moved upstream one pool and switched to a #20 gray RS2 emerger.  Using the white yarn indicator with long drifts, I finally hooked and landed one 11 inch rainbow at the end of this pool.

Waded upstream to a small waterfall below the bridge in Kitteridge.  Bottom almost totally covered in brown slimy moss that occurs in fall and low water flows.  This moss almost looks like rock snot but I am not sure.  No fish in the two pools below the waterfall.

Back to my favorite hole. There was a large hatch of midges coming off.  I kept my #18 hares ear on top and switched to a #24 midge pattern tied on a 3X long hook.  Some 20 casts and drifts along the main run with no strike indicator, I felt and noticed the line acting differently.  I have a fish on, I thought.  Raising the rod tip enough to set the hook resulted in a nice fat 15 inch brown coming to the net after 3 or 4 runs.  This was it for this pool.

Time to head for home but a satisfying day.  The brown was a good substitute for the 15 inch rainbow I had lost on 8/26.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
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8/25

Invasive Species Control is a difficult issue because of the wide diversity of species involved.  Some advocate use of chemicals for controlling invasive species.  Others advocate non-chemical means to control these invasive hitchikers.

In Colorado signs warning about New Zealand Mud Snail infection in a stream or lake also maintain a 50% solution of 409 cleaner in a gallon of water will kill these critters.  This recommendation is based on a California study.  The only thing is the California study used commercial grade 409 found in Lowe’s, Home Depot or other commercial cleaning supply houses.  This type of 409 is much more powerful than the grocery story kind. If you have noticed, refill bottles of 409 are no longer available in many grocery stores. [ Also 409 is not approved by the EPA for invasive species control. Doing so in fact is breaking the law. Further 409 does not control whirling disease, zebra mussels or a host of other invasive species. (1) ]

The list of procedures to control or prevent spreading Invasive Species can be applied to anglers, boaters and aquarium owners.  Procedures include:

1. Physical Removal of all visible mud, plant material, fish/animals, sand or other debris from waders, wading boots, boats and equipment before leaving a stream, lake, pond, or other body of water.
2. Water Removal – from boat motors, jet drives, live wells, scuba regulators and tanks, recreational swim equipment, boots, waders, bait buckets, seaplane equipment.
3. Cleaning Recommendations
   • Wash your dog with as warm water as possible and brush its coat.
   • Use 40⁰C or 104⁰ or hotter water to clean your equipment.  Salt water is also a good cleaning agent. If hot water is not available, use a high pressure sprayer to clean boats, floats, decoys and similar equipment.
   • Chemical Alternatives to 409 or for equipment that cannot be exposed to hot water
     Dipping equipment into 100% vinegar for 20 minutes will kill aquatic hitchhikers.
     A 1% salt solution dip for 24 hours can be used in place of the vinegar process.
     This table provides correct mixtures for the 1 % salt solution in water:

     Gallons of Water	Cups of Salt
     5	2/3
     10	1 ¼
     25	3
     50	6 1/4
     100	12 2/3

   • Drying Equipment Thoroughly for at least 5 days before using in new waters.
4. Proper Disposal of Aquarium Contents and leftover live bait
   • Aquarium Content Disposal - Children can exercise considerable influence over parents when it comes time to dispose of aquatic pets.  Parents need to educate children that pouring the contents of an aquarium into a body of water or storm drain may be harming the streams and lakes all over the country.  Such disposal of an aquarium may be killing other fish, animals and plants that are already growing in lakes and streams. If a home can’t be found for the aquarium and contents, bury the critters and dump any water in the yard far away from storm drains.
   • Bait Disposal - may be a problem.  Bait may not be native to the area you are fishing.  Bait can carry disease or aquatic hitchikers so proper disposal is important. Leftover bait should be put in a trash can or on land far enough from water resources so they are not impacted.  Dispose of leftover bait water on land far from storm drains or water resources.  Improper disposal consists of pouring water or left over bait back into a stream or lake.  The bait may have come from an area not native to where it is being used.  Such a disposal practice may introduce disease or invasive hitchhikers into your favorite lake or stream.

 Reference for these control procedures — www.protectyourwaters.org

 The Federation of Fly Fishers  (1) has a slightly different take on control measures.  The FFF does not support the use of chemicals for cleaning boots, waders, boats or other recreational equipment.  The FFF supports three main methods to control the spread of invasive species.

1. Inspect – your equipment for dirt, plants or animals before moving to another stream, lake or body of water.
2. Clean -  your gear with clean water.  Without the use of chemicals, your gear can be cleaned in the water you have been fishing thus leaving what you may have picked up in the same water. Using high pressure water will help remove the small hitchhikers you may not see.
3. Thoroughly dry your gear each time you use it.
4. Never transport any fish, plants or animals from one body of water to another
5. Switch to boot foot waders with studded rubber lug soles to make cleaning gear easier. 
6. Take the Clean Angling Pledge and encourage others to do the same.

 Please do your part and help to control the spread of invasive species. What you do just might mean the difference in your favorite fishery surviving.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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Two American Fly Fishing Tackle Association items from midcurrent.com.  AFFTA has hired a Colorado native, Gary Berlin, as its new President.  Gary is a former head of the International Hunter Education Association and a former DOW human resources manager/District Wildlife Manager.  Gary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management from Mesa College in Grand Junction and a Masters in Public Administration from University of Colorado in Denver.  Gary brings proven leadership in the outdoor industry coupled with excellent people skills to AFFTA’s leadership.

Second, Gary has been tasked with finding a new home for AFFTA in the metro Denver area.  A major fly fishing association with a Colorado native as President in the Denver area.  This is more like it.

Now if the Federation of Fly Fishers will move to Longmont or Loveland to complete the picture, Colorado will be more on the fly fishing map than ever.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
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6/2

High Plains Drifters are holding a special adult fly fishing clinic featuring Fly Fisherman Magazines featured tier Charlie Craven and expert big fish catchers John Barr and Landon Mayer.  John Barr does not do these kind of events often so here is your chance to learn from the best.  Landon Mayer is an expert guide based in Colorado Springs.  Landon’s home waters are Colorado’s famous Dream Stream.

He is author of fly fishing books and publisher of fly fishing DVDs.  "How To Catch The Biggest Trout Of Your Life".  "Landing the Trout of Your Life DVD." "Weapons of Bass Production DVD".

The Clinic will be held at  Kassler Environmental Education Center and Lake Lehow in SW metro area. There will be a $5 charge for non HPD members.  Download a PDF copy of the Special Clinic notice

A reminder about the High Plains Drifters Kids Day Fly Fishing Clinic June 21. The event is open to children to age 15.  Maybe 17 if HPD stretches it a bit.  This is a special event for children to be taught about fly fishing from some local experts in fly fishing.  There will be Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting instructors there to teach casting.  Our club has some expert fly tiers who will be demonstrating how to tie flies.

Currently we have about 40 of the 50 available spots signed up.  If you have children to enroll, do it now.  Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  A parent or guardian must also enroll the child.

For more information download this PDF Annual HPD Kids Day Fly Fishing Clinic  Sign up instructions, a participant questionnaire and liability release are included in this printable PDF.

 Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

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1/21

On my site home page, I had talked about the High Plains Drifters chapter of Federation of Fly Fishers kids day fly fishing clinic, June 21, 2008.  This year the HPD would like to have 50 kids enrolled for this day of fly fishing instruction, casting classes and fishing in a stocked pond.  If you live in the Metro Denver area or the Colorado Front Range, this is a great opportunity for a child to learn about a sport offering a lifetime of fun and the outdoor life. 

In earlier posts, I had told about the decline in fishing from 2001 to 2006 according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife annual 5 year survey.  Angling in Decline  One of the main reasons for the decline in angling is fathers are not passing the sport on to their sons.  Dad here is a chance for you to learn along with your son about fly fishing. 

The High Plains Drifters would like to enroll 50 children this year.  The fee is only $15.00.  Lunch is provided, a presentaion by local expert Landon Mayer is scheduled, casting instruction, safety and fishing in a stocked pond are offered.  Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  A parent or guardian must enroll the child.

For more information download this PDF Annual HPD Kids Day Fly Fishing Clinic  Sign up instructions, a participant questionnaire and liability release are included in this printable PDF.

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