tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82911473522823278052024-02-06T22:25:03.915-07:00The Fly GuideMichael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-61673750292514760882013-08-07T16:46:00.000-06:002013-08-07T16:46:37.845-06:00The Frying Pan River – August 2013
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This river is one of my favorites in the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It offers countless opportunities to fish
some challenging terrain while at the same time whispering a promise to provide
you with the prospect of hooking into a trophy that you can brag to your friends
about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The river was in full swing this past weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fishing was excellent from Basalt all the
way to the Ruedi Dam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There weren’t many
places to fish up next to the dam as many of your weekender fishermen were
there, elbow to elbow, combat fishing for the entire day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the remaining areas below the dam
were often open. If you dared to cross the river and hike up into more secluded
areas, you would then find yourself faced with some interesting runs teaming
with trout that had not seen a fly in the last few weeks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I concentrated my time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was evident that the green drake situation was really not
the way to go even though I had read several reports the day before indicating
that the drakes were on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No adults and
very few nymphs were present despite my many attempts to locate them. Instead, I
found an abundance of midge larva and stone flies as I seined the water and
flipped through the rocks along the shoreline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on
that, I tied on a Pat’s Rubber Legs and a zebra midge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This proved right away to be effective as I targeted
the seams between the white water and the pools created near the banks of
the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adding some weight to the
line and using the small waterfalls to plunge the flies deeper into the run was
a great tactic to reach some of those larger trout hiding right below the swift
water at the head of the run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After only two days of fishing this area, the count was up
to 36 trout to the net.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a clear
reminder of why I keep returning to this river year after year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-9213151395210640802013-07-21T18:00:00.000-06:002013-07-21T18:00:00.149-06:00The Stagecoach Tailwater - July 2013
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Stagecoach tailwater was so much fun the first time,
Alyssa and I decided to do it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
this trip, I took some time to compile the video that was collected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll let the footage speak for itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as patterns, the RS2 was a big hit again, but I also
had a lot of strikes on the Jujubee Midge and on an Adams in some of the areas
that I decided to fish only dries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-52126731170584933492013-06-11T19:29:00.001-06:002013-06-11T19:29:47.869-06:00The Blue River - 6/9/2013
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last month has been challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everywhere I have attempted to fish has
either been high and fast with this season’s runoff, or low and stagnate due to
the drought that was experienced throughout the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has made finding a nice place to cast a
line difficult to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
with enough perseverance and a good understanding of the flows that are occurring
right now, a fly angler can still find a stretch of river just right for some trout
action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This weekend, Connor and I took a look at the Blue
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now this has never been one of my
favorite places to fish as I have always found most of the area crowded or
worse, devoid of feeding trout large enough to inspire me to hang around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This feeling was compounded once we took a
good look at the conditions on Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of the river between the Dillon Res and Green Mountain was dark and
experiencing a pretty quick runoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After seeing this, we headed toward Kremmling, but found the water there
low and only sluggishly moving as it entered the Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Green Mountain Reservoir being so low, those
in charge would clearly only be allowing the bare minimum of water to be released
down river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only saving grace this day was the tail
water of Green Mountain Reservoir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
conditions there were questionable at its 73cfs flow, the water was clear and
we could see the beginning of a BWO hatch starting to form.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It didn’t take long, once we found our first pool, to hook
into some larger rainbows and browns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Staying hidden on the opposite side of a
faster run, we were able to trick a few hefty trout to our lines with the RS2
and a Pheasant Tail Nymph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the
bottom was pretty much covered in sludge, if you managed to adjust your dropper
about 2 to 4 inches from the bottom, it was easy to keep a nice drift and reduce
the amount of casts that would end with you needing to clean your flies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-12036179446252833222013-05-29T20:58:00.000-06:002013-05-29T20:58:19.901-06:00Steamboat Springs - 5/26/2013
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon arriving in Steamboat, I could see that the Yampa was
in full runoff making most of the river very challenging to fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We investigated several areas including
Sarvis Creek and the Elk River and found much of the area running with high,
dark water creating a situation where using runoff tactics like dark streamers
in eddies or shorelines was nearly impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When this occurs, most fly fisherman would just pack up their gear and
head for the nearest bar for a plate of fish and chips and a nice mug of some
local brew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, all is not lost
here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just outside of town, Stagecoach
Reservoir offers some reprieve this time of year for those out there in search
of some nice water and big trout. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the tail waters of Stagecoach, you will find that flows
are managed despite the snow melt. Fish congregate here in large numbers and
are often fooled by a number of patterns like the Pat’s Rubber Legs, the RS2,
and the Pheasant Tail Nymph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key
here really is the approach and getting a nice drag-free drift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Failure to do those two things will land you
nothing but a short walk through some of the best looking country in Colorado….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, maybe that’s not so bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As expected, after all this was Memorial Day weekend, the crowds
were a bit large for the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coupled
by the fact that much of the available river here wasn’t fishable, anyone needing
to get their fly fishing fix had little other choice than this tail water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is that despite the crowds, it
is really hard to find an area on this section of water that doesn’t house a trout
worth snapping a few pictures of and bragging to your friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With nearly two full days of fishing, Alyssa
and I were able to land nearly 40 trout, 5 of which exceeded the 20 inch range.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As an added bonus, there was a small pond near our campsite that
appeared to be attracting more attention than a pond of this size should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a little investigation and a few casts
of the rod, I was able to land a 30 inch pike, a first for me here in Colorado.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-50194421084293297572013-05-21T07:07:00.001-06:002013-05-21T07:07:26.448-06:00Clear Creek Runoff!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Clear Creek conditions have quickly deteriorated into
runoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that things would
probably not be too good when I spotted a kayaker as I was passing through tunnel
two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water is dark, cold and moving
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a few spots
available along the edges where I was able to catch four unsuspecting trout
attempting to weather the storm, but nymphing was really the only effective
technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also recommend dusting off
the streamer box, use your darkest colors, and hug the cut-banks and plunge
pools tightly for your best opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-2142992773348058732013-05-19T11:25:00.002-06:002013-05-19T11:25:43.726-06:00Tenkara Tournament 5/18/2013
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, the Tenkara tournament was a bit of a bust seeing as
how the organizer of the event was not present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However; a few guys still showed up making the event fun and providing a
great opportunity to meet some other Tenkara nuts out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, the fishing was very good as nearly
75 fish were caught between the five people that attended the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally enjoyed meeting Dan as he has
become a bigger advocate for the kebari fly than I am currently and it was interesting
to see his technique in action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me
and the rest of my group, we used poppers for the majority of the day with great
success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all caught bass and sunfish
with one outlier being a speckled perch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
This was Matt's biggest bass of the day... caught on the Iwana 12'<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ihb1KAEygbSzx2EeymNNcD_1TSaU_WM_5VIsCLPAR7ow14Tgw0LIt4AJ7_Yi0t76ZJJVga3ycc1dDoUK8xDAho3qYieHSuiSHdWYsL2jcLE3w0l3YuQfcQ7I1nkhvoCrcTzAd9omCg/s1600/Bass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ihb1KAEygbSzx2EeymNNcD_1TSaU_WM_5VIsCLPAR7ow14Tgw0LIt4AJ7_Yi0t76ZJJVga3ycc1dDoUK8xDAho3qYieHSuiSHdWYsL2jcLE3w0l3YuQfcQ7I1nkhvoCrcTzAd9omCg/s320/Bass.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
<span style="color: black;">This was Alyssa's Speck</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Eh3vm_3IKfsi1m2Kw_4ZKZCy3QWmWCT-p1pmGRSOBgr08j3Vs5JQKoZdKUHVuLx1aXsnPxNhnocEdYCye9BFFx7jcWg_tWu8uq55JKDveIE0uaJ1u-6HDe8Zexs4SRwCPzofBhwYw/s1600/SPerch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Eh3vm_3IKfsi1m2Kw_4ZKZCy3QWmWCT-p1pmGRSOBgr08j3Vs5JQKoZdKUHVuLx1aXsnPxNhnocEdYCye9BFFx7jcWg_tWu8uq55JKDveIE0uaJ1u-6HDe8Zexs4SRwCPzofBhwYw/s320/SPerch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-55700362575583756582013-05-13T09:49:00.000-06:002013-05-13T09:49:00.996-06:00Walden Ponds and the Big Thompson - 5/11-12/2013
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had another fun weekend of fly fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to prepare for the Tenkara
tournament next week at Walden Ponds, I decided to try that area out this
weekend to investigate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what flies and tactics
would work best for the fish in that area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What you will see here mostly are bass and sunfish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As expected, they all responded well to
various poppers and foam spiders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
more action you could simulate, the more likely a larger fish would take
interest and inspect your presentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brighter colors seemed to produce better results than darker and a
longer cast often resulted in a larger hookup avoiding some of the smaller guys
near the shore’s edge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Matt, Connor and I also drove up to the Big Thompson to fish
the same area that produced so well just a week earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This trip was not nearly as productive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was clear that the water was higher, cloudier;
and most importantly, was nearly 10 degrees cooler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Runoff is starting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel that this, in combination with the
rain that we witnessed, really did a lot to put the fish off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a few caught, but a lot of work
was required to get those fish to respond at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are a few of the fish caught at Walden Ponds.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3d2uPSMPMgOMNcmIbWjJNNS_FesUdf3Ve7ixhOSG8fA_qYVzJ5pCn2VC5mnIDtIdx-OwzTaPfNxuroXpHph2-T0aVPO5STYSX-pAXjOC0SyQsBsBuHAXuIz5cxYPd9Zulrujqe1hSqg/s1600/Bass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3d2uPSMPMgOMNcmIbWjJNNS_FesUdf3Ve7ixhOSG8fA_qYVzJ5pCn2VC5mnIDtIdx-OwzTaPfNxuroXpHph2-T0aVPO5STYSX-pAXjOC0SyQsBsBuHAXuIz5cxYPd9Zulrujqe1hSqg/s320/Bass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_SRL0AHEXyGwE5TQQmAveXYKIqDUByaKgMN1BQkICbuqACHs39v_67McPqBMPAgH5Pw-vDf0fCYanGgfHO8J7bTu6D1pPCG0QOoXTK4wSL24oXkvpsvQTePZVvh8SoeRw0v5eMsWcw/s1600/Bream1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_SRL0AHEXyGwE5TQQmAveXYKIqDUByaKgMN1BQkICbuqACHs39v_67McPqBMPAgH5Pw-vDf0fCYanGgfHO8J7bTu6D1pPCG0QOoXTK4wSL24oXkvpsvQTePZVvh8SoeRw0v5eMsWcw/s320/Bream1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMBroUCqxy9DHuKj2lMjs8ZJtnN0V-h-d_-V98Nz8AdARoD7FgDmhyphenhyphen3S497fBQVeTKwM5lPKUzNDXWnakuOhlEnDzkOx3up8CML2YrikF0DbrIzzae3NS_CX6DlM47bgdPVtHwyxbqg/s1600/Bream2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMBroUCqxy9DHuKj2lMjs8ZJtnN0V-h-d_-V98Nz8AdARoD7FgDmhyphenhyphen3S497fBQVeTKwM5lPKUzNDXWnakuOhlEnDzkOx3up8CML2YrikF0DbrIzzae3NS_CX6DlM47bgdPVtHwyxbqg/s320/Bream2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-79002482429632148912013-05-07T17:05:00.000-06:002013-05-07T17:05:52.289-06:00The Big Thompson – 5/6/2013<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fishing on the Big Thompson this weekend was superb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In nearly every run, riffle or pool, there was
a hungry trout waiting for the opportunity to attack your fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most were caught on pheasant tail nymphs
(size 16), but around 12:30pm, a nice hatch of BWOs started to appear on the
surface. For about 1 hour, trout were surfacing everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fly of choice at this time was the Adams (size 16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both standard and parachute versions worked
equally well as long as you could maintain a perfect drag-free drift in areas
where bugs were accumulating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was another trip where I only used the Tenkara
rod.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it allowed me to accurately
place my dry-dropper setup in areas up to 30 feet away while still achieving a
great drift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This trip was also my first
“Meetup” where I was the organizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had a great time with Randy and Susan as we worked through some of my favorite water
on this river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward to more
trips with this group and fishing with these guys again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you would like to join this Meetup group - <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Colorado-Front-Range-Fly-Fishing/" target="_blank">Colorado Front Range Fly Fishing</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-88250321179369823842013-04-30T17:12:00.000-06:002013-04-30T17:12:09.780-06:00Clear Creek and Tenkara
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I took the Tenkara rods out this past weekend and tried my
luck on Clear Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also decided to
play around with the new GoPro camera that I picked up off Amazon just to see
how much fun it might be to start documenting my fly fishing trips via video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, it was fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe you don’t want to necessarily record your trips in HD,
however; it will always be a good idea to keep a running log of your
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keeping track of the day you
were there, weather conditions, water temperature, flow rate, what flies you used, your
line configuration, etc…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will really
pave the way to becoming an expert on that water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine fishing this year, but having a
resource at your fingertips that recounts what was attempted on that river
during the same conditions last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What worked well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What didn’t
work at all?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While your buddies are digging
through their fly boxes guessing, you would already be a step ahead and midway
through your fifth cast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-15642932782412743542013-04-22T07:49:00.000-06:002013-04-22T07:49:36.348-06:00Fly Fishing Clear Creek – 4/21/2013
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Clear Creek is running beautifully right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water is a bit low, but that fact is
giving the average angler access to many areas not typically available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area is becoming my testing ground for
my new Tenkara rods as the terrain and shallow runs appear to be custom
tailored for this method of fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
far, I have been very happy with the results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, Alyssa and I caught about 12 fish on beaded pheasant tails in
sizes ranging from 8 to 13 inches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
already tell that Alyssa is going to prefer Tenkara over western fly fishing as
the ease of casting really allowed her to focus her efforts on landing fish
rather than fiddling with her gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did spend some time using some of the more traditional kebari flies, but due to
my lack of confidence in them at this point, I found myself gravitating to my
go to dry-dropper configuration (small caddis/pheasant tail) which was really
easy to cast with the Ayu II and produced great results throughout the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-64806132749266554002013-03-13T17:56:00.000-06:002013-03-13T17:56:17.294-06:00The Adams
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This fly doesn’t really need any kind of introduction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Adams Fly was created by Leonard Halladay
in 1922.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The history behind how the fly
was created is very interesting as many variations of the story exists
accounting for both the name and the conception of the fly itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some believe that the fly was actually
designed by a man named Charles F. Adams stating that he described the fly to Leonard
based on his observations at a
local Mayfield pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others state that
Leonard himself designed the pattern and it was named the “Adams” due to the
fact that Charles Adams was the first to catch a fish on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tom
Deschaine actually does a great job recounting the history behind the fly in
his article “The Adams: History Revisited by Tom Deschaine” – Here is a link to
the article - <a href="http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2010/04/19/the-adams-history-revisited-by-tom-deschaine/" target="_blank">The Adams: History Revisited</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I first learned how to tie this pattern in a fly tying class
that I took with Charlie Craven over at Charlie’s Flybox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an easy tie and it catches fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What more can you really ask for in a pattern?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have fished this pattern in 10 different
states now and in many different situations….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Keep a few of these in your fly box!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hook – TMC 100 Size 16<o:p></o:p><br />
Thread – Black 8/0<o:p></o:p><br />
Tail – Mix of Brown and Grizzly Hackle<o:p></o:p><br />
Wings – Grizzly Hen Tips<o:p></o:p><br />
Body – Super Fine in Gray<o:p></o:p><br />
Hackle - Brown and Grizzly Hackle (1 each)<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7NmRPzA1tgxVrVdTWTpnc3vVP2HWXPb0P8B1LsXQO5b8m3b1TzswTzfeQZssmVklaAQKN2K3z3tY2EXZRe_4zWsm_faKx0a4LGAKGN9PdE3RTx9JXS3_6jSL4DMVDJ5Uayg1fIuo9g/s1600/adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7NmRPzA1tgxVrVdTWTpnc3vVP2HWXPb0P8B1LsXQO5b8m3b1TzswTzfeQZssmVklaAQKN2K3z3tY2EXZRe_4zWsm_faKx0a4LGAKGN9PdE3RTx9JXS3_6jSL4DMVDJ5Uayg1fIuo9g/s320/adams.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-43832170181735970162013-02-18T18:36:00.000-07:002013-02-18T18:36:15.827-07:00CDC and Elk
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Originally created by Hans Weilenmann, the CDC and Elk has
become a bit of a staple for me. I like the fly because it is simple to tie
(the name is practically the materials list), it floats really well with only
limited additives, and it catches fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think that the CDC on this pattern creates a lot or surface
disturbance and movement as CDC tends to do with lots of other patterns that we
all like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Staying true to form, many
have chosen, as I have, not to utilize elk for this pattern in favor of deer making the head
on this fly a little easier to create.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In general, this makes a great caddis imitation and is a go to fly for many small streams.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfJiZUJuk5Ogvf-afKBbbAFx5hrjSvZVlYds5nCBM2p9ga1SS5J_5jW-dtOxy07XgQchUTYjt2OhTU73yt0Eci65USWU3JYz-WO1YD0iyRuRZipXo_WKLmo8v2unL_aZw4Ab_pZq11A/s1600/CDCandElk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfJiZUJuk5Ogvf-afKBbbAFx5hrjSvZVlYds5nCBM2p9ga1SS5J_5jW-dtOxy07XgQchUTYjt2OhTU73yt0Eci65USWU3JYz-WO1YD0iyRuRZipXo_WKLmo8v2unL_aZw4Ab_pZq11A/s320/CDCandElk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-46431809528612730782013-02-11T18:27:00.000-07:002013-02-11T18:27:09.290-07:00Annual Fly Tying Clinic - Trout Unlimited
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I attended the Annual Fly Tying Clinic put on by Trout
Unlimited this past weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a
little under the weather, but I still managed to participate in the silent
auction and various raffles offered at the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there, I got the opportunity to watch
Greg Garcia tie on a few of his favorite inventions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have really enjoyed working with Greg over
the years and I owe him immensely for the great advice that he has willingly offered
me over that time that has ultimately improved my technique on the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this was the first time that I have
been at a venue where Greg was actually tying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my favorite patterns of his is the Mini Hot Attractor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a simple attractor, very easy to tie,
and in my opinion, a dead-ringer for the yellow sally stone fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is an example of one that I tied
shortly after the clinic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Hook – TMC 200R 14-18<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Thread – Yellow 70<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Body – Yellow thread wrapped with micro tubing<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Hot Spot – Red Flash<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Underwing – SLF dubbing in sand<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Overwing – Bleached yearling elk<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Thorax – Yellow SLF Dubbing with yellow hackle<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-3098503344614990432013-01-28T19:53:00.000-07:002013-01-28T19:53:19.023-07:00At Charlie’s Flybox with Steve Schweitzer<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">I attended a tying presentation at Charlie’s Flybox this past Saturday featuring Steve Schweitzer. This is the same guy that I had written about earlier when discussing fly fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park. The presentation was very informative and focused not just on tying patterns, but also on tips and tricks when fishing high altitude areas. The rule that Steve pushed the hardest was “as you go higher, fish smaller and darker patterns”. He also provided some useful tips on some fly patterns that he likes based on various elevations in the park.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Below are the patterns that he reviewed during his presentation along with their elevation recommendations:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">7,000 to 8,500 feet – Chewy Scud, Tabou Caddis, and the Spun-Bunny Mudder</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">8,500 to 10,000 feet – ParaCupboard Ant, The Usual, and the Better Midge</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">I really liked the ParaCupborad Ant as I typically gravitate toward any pattern that uses common materials or maybe a material that most would never think to use. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">This pattern uses a cabinet liner that you can pick up at any Walmart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cut a small strip of the material as you see below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t cut the material at each segment, but rather pinch between every other segment and gently pull apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will create somewhat realistic antennae or pinchers depending on your point of view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now you have a foam ant body to tie with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2BYeGvjETS0-oqsQEWZf17QChYVu7UWVhVCMQIDHTK4nM7z0VnRWOfDXqdZL46pIFdVcxJgaA_OBR-676KY-t3LC3duNSfrXtpmX0VLj9M-d-WEHoZKaHdy6tNscuiVntLg5pqVgYQ/s1600/ant_bodies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2BYeGvjETS0-oqsQEWZf17QChYVu7UWVhVCMQIDHTK4nM7z0VnRWOfDXqdZL46pIFdVcxJgaA_OBR-676KY-t3LC3duNSfrXtpmX0VLj9M-d-WEHoZKaHdy6tNscuiVntLg5pqVgYQ/s200/ant_bodies.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Use a size 18 hook, I like the TMC 100 or 101 for this as it is really well suited for the ant body that you just created.</span></div>
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</o:p></span>Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-24333612454291415252013-01-21T17:12:00.000-07:002013-01-21T17:12:29.426-07:00International Sportsman’s ExpoI attended the International Sportsman’s Expo this weekend. As usual, there were lots guide services and local fly shops selling products and services at discount prices. I picked up a few fly boxes as well as enough leaders to last through spring and summer this year. However, the portions of this show that I find the most valuable are the presentations. This year, I attended three great presentations. <br />
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1. <u>Urban Fly Fishing (Kerry Caraghar).</u> Kerry did a wonderful job of reviewing many of the local waters around or near the metro area. He covered in great detail areas of Clear Creek and Bear Creek that fished particularly well and even hinted at a few areas that we might be able to catch a cutthroat only 40 minutes from down town. Kerry works at the Orvis in Cherry Creek and welcomes anyone interested in talking about fly fishing locally to please come by the shop. <br />
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2. <u>Fly Fishing Western Tailwaters (Pat Dorsey).</u> Another great presentation by someone we have all become familiar with in the area of fly fishing. Pat has written a book on this subject and really did a good job sharing some of the intricacies of fishing Colorado tailwaters. He encouraged all to fish the Cheesman area as he feels that this location is so challenging that those that are successful there, can fish anywhere in the world. For anyone serious about tailwaters in Colorado, his book is a must read. Click the following link for more information - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tying-Fishing-Tailwater-Flies-Step/dp/0811707229" target="_blank">Tying & Fishing Tailwater Flies</a><br />
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3. <u>Czech Nymphing (Steve Parrot).</u> This is the guy that really brought this style of fly fishing to Colorado. For those that were not familiar with the style, the time spent at this presentation was a great way to learn some of the basics. I look forward to a Czech Nymphing guided trip with Steve in the future so I can really develop this skill. Steve can be reached at <a href="http://www.bluequillangler.com/" target="_blank">http://www.bluequillangler.com/</a> for more information.<br />
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-50859031196804965512013-01-13T10:19:00.000-07:002013-01-13T10:19:18.709-07:00Tying Some PoppersI have been asked by a few of my bass fishing friends and family to tie up a few popper patterns so they can hit the St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers back near my home town of Tallahassee. I haven’t really tied a lot of poppers as I spend most of my time fishing the rivers and streams here in Colorado. However; I found it to be a nice deviation from the techniques, tools and materials that I normally utilize when sitting down at my tying bench. Tying foam poppers gives you the opportunity to work with various paints, epoxy, and stencils in order to make, well really anything that you can think up at the time. What I have created here, while not flashy or amazing, was still a lot of fun. <br />
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One bit of advice that I learned through trial and error was when working with epoxy. Getting a nearly perfect 50/50 ratio when mixing the two parts is really important. Failure to do this will lead to a coating on your popper that seems to never dry completely, it just feels tacky to the touch. There were really two tricks that seemed to work well for me. One, you can purchase epoxy mixing cups from your local hobby store. These cups allow you to measure the two parts before beginning the mixing process keeping the ratio nice and even. Two, on a piece of paper, use a stencil to create two circles of the same size. Fill one circle with the resin and the other with the hardener. Once each side fully fills your circles, you have equal parts and can begin mixing. <br />
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Oh, another good practice you should observe deals with the mixing itself. Whatever tool that you are using to mix your epoxy, be sure to never lift it out of the mixture as you are stirring. Doing so will trap air bubbles in the epoxy making it really difficult to get a nice glassy finish.<br />
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As far as painting supplies, you can really paint your poppers with any of the acrylic paints found at any hobby store. However, I did run across an interesting airbrushing tool that I think works great for this type of application. It’s called a Copic Airbrush. Instead of mixing paints and having parts to clean after every use, all you have to do with this system is load the next marker. It does use specific markers for the system, but the ease of use really caught my interest and after experimenting with the system, I am already thinking about all the other possibilities that I could use this for in my fly tying. Go to <a href="http://www.copicmarker.com/products/airbrush-system" target="_blank">http://www.copicmarker.com</a> for more information.<br />
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Here are a few of my creations from this weekend<br />
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<br />Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-87091884612134905152013-01-12T11:16:00.000-07:002013-01-12T11:18:12.844-07:00BFC Meeting - Fly Fishing RMNPRecently, I attended the Boulder Fly Caster’s meetup group at the Boulder REI to listen to a presentation given by Steven Schweitzer on fly fishing Rocky Mountain National Park. I think that Steve’s presentation was excellent as he covered some of the caveats of hiking this area, equipment needed, and some of the lesser known nuances of park fly fishing. I was so impressed with the presentation, I decided to go ahead and pick up his book for my own review. So far, I think that it is highly detailed and certainly a MUST read for anyone seriously interested in exploring the park with the intent on casting a fly rod. Interestingly enough, he even includes a small section on tenkara fishing stating that RMNP has become the “epicenter” for this style. That is good to know as I am exploring this style myself now and it is nice to know that we have such a great area for it so near to home.<br />
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For more information on Steven Schweitzer and his book “A Fly Fishing Guide to Rocky Mountain Park”, please visit <a href="http://www.flyfishingrmnp.com/" target="_blank">www.flyfishingRMNP.com</a><br />
<br />Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-18049306934653892482013-01-02T18:08:00.001-07:002013-01-02T18:08:36.125-07:00Tenkara<br />
While searching for some unique Christmas gift ideas this season, I ran across information on a method of fly fishing that I was unfamiliar with until now. It is called Tenkara. It is a method of fly fishing hundreds of years old and utilized in the high mountain streams of Japan. This method uses only a fly rod, a leader, some tippet and a fly - notice that I didn’t list either a reel or any fly line. It is marketed here in the US as a simpler style of fly fishing and at this point seems to be targeting back-country hikers and campers. The rods collapse into a small space and the gear requirements are minimal. Traditionally, this type of fly fishing focuses more on the quality of the presentation rather than the fly making it possible to carry only a few patterns or maybe even just one. The flies themselves I also found interesting as they are a clear deviation from the patterns that I have become accustomed to tying.
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For more information, please visit www.tenkarausa.com and www.tenkaratalk.com<br />
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Here are a few of the flies that I have put together so far. Tenkara patterns are not required to be complex and were often constructed from any available materials that the fisherman had at his disposal. For me, I just couldn’t help but add a little flair to make my time at the bench more interesting. <br />
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Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-59026441171978212472012-06-12T17:30:00.000-06:002012-06-12T17:30:03.144-06:00North Platte River - WyomingI finally made the North Platte trip a reality. What can I really say about it? Matt and I took the float from Bennett Peak to Saratoga staying the night on Treasure Island. The trek is approximately 24 miles long. This area of Wyoming is absolutely beautiful and the river was easily navigated for a novice such as myself. Fishing was a little slow in the beginning, but I attribute that to our unfamiliarity with the river and the wind… boy was the wind bad the first day! For the first few miles, we saw lots of surface activity from trout. Most were targeting Caddis, but as the Green Drakes started to arrive to the party, the attention soon turned in their direction. <br />
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On the second day, we started out a little earlier and the temperature was quite a bit colder. The magic combination seemed to be a Pat’s Rubber Legs in tandem with a size 14 Prince. Once we tied this up, nearly every deep seam appeared to result in a nice hookup. Most of the trout that we caught were in the range of 16+ inches with one breaking off, that we only saw briefly at the surface, that appeared to be in the 25 inch range. I am sure as time passes and that story gets told a few more times, he will grow even more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWiJKQQu-QanEUoeJkyB41xaKSKYh91bsz-v5jZhOFVYyVpMkQglYeMZXFXTKqJrz4nh2EKD7gJFCn0MJItd2UFkZoHiV_0BGDvw4T7AO7Ae_L-RH-3DWxhpaALBlbpwlpjcAU1ixiA/s1600/fish2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWiJKQQu-QanEUoeJkyB41xaKSKYh91bsz-v5jZhOFVYyVpMkQglYeMZXFXTKqJrz4nh2EKD7gJFCn0MJItd2UFkZoHiV_0BGDvw4T7AO7Ae_L-RH-3DWxhpaALBlbpwlpjcAU1ixiA/s320/fish2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-65313340393226652932012-04-04T08:00:00.001-06:002012-04-04T08:00:44.603-06:00My Trip to the Frying PanI visited the Frying Pan River over the weekend with my friends Matt, Connor, and Adam. First of all, the scenery was beautiful. The water was perfectly clear and running at 95cfs, the surrounding cliffs were unforgettable, and the weather could not have been better for fly fishing. After a night of limited sleep suffering through Adam’s snoring, we hit the water at about 9:30am. Things started out slow initially, but after a few hours, we began to get a little activity in the pocket water lining the river on the opposite bank from the road, no doubt attributed to the quickly rising temperatures in the area. After seining a few spots and experimenting with a hand-full of patterns, I was able to start enticing trout to my line using the rojo, CDC pheasant tail, and a bead-head zebra midge. Nymphing these patterns showed some limited success, but the river bottom itself was so covered in silt and algae in most areas, you would actually spend more time cleaning your flies than fishing your lane. Using a dry-dropper was far more effective and allowed for a more variable presentation at the bottom by doing nothing more than changing the dropper length based on the area being targeted. <br />
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Overall, we caught about 30 trout all together. We caught both browns and rainbows ranging in size from 10 to 19 inches. I would call that a successful trip and a fun weekend out with the guys. I hope to do this again soon!Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-54585581124306617142012-03-25T19:19:00.000-06:002012-03-25T19:19:35.577-06:00Eleven Mile CanyonThis was my first time out fly fishing this year. Alyssa and I headed down to Eleven Mile Canyon to see how conditions this time of year would be and to try our luck using a few new patterns that I tied over the winter. What I liked most about this trip was the fact that not only did we catch some nice trout, but we nearly had the whole place to ourselves. The best producer by far during this trip… The Barr’s Emerger!<br />
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I have read a lot over the winter about the Barr’s Emerger. It is a pattern originally created by John Barr and is intended to imitate a partially developed dun. I didn’t see a lot of surface activity this weekend, but after seining the water, I did discover many varieties of mayflies floating though the water column nearing this stage of development. After tying one on and allowing a mid-column drift, it was clear what the trout were focusing their efforts on. This remained relatively consistent throughout the day. <br />
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<strong><em>The Barr's Emerger</em></strong> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjwMS-tr5opZf9x0yjQ0uq6LzXL2vrCU8sbD0s8qcBj0x696o1Sl98r6jiqw2_Vtcm9PYxeBx1hdY5CM4JsqeO24AV7_NqpqBvbsgQZWG5DdHkOXRIKgdL30tnSOxgOYfm-bF8W2xaw/s1600/P1010348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjwMS-tr5opZf9x0yjQ0uq6LzXL2vrCU8sbD0s8qcBj0x696o1Sl98r6jiqw2_Vtcm9PYxeBx1hdY5CM4JsqeO24AV7_NqpqBvbsgQZWG5DdHkOXRIKgdL30tnSOxgOYfm-bF8W2xaw/s320/P1010348.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
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<strong><em>Cutbow at Eleven Mile Canyon</em></strong> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JO7dvX7bBtGtxhlhyA_eI4hPAmmzeuPcph1hB8skCb0Afhnh2VsQlhoF-52pGe6QuvIWccsGiLfT5UgITXphzNakORGtXC1oMIY2GDVrBZ4XVoXzPr-P-qu8RVqGQ_8PmkJz6o3T1Q/s1600/P1010345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JO7dvX7bBtGtxhlhyA_eI4hPAmmzeuPcph1hB8skCb0Afhnh2VsQlhoF-52pGe6QuvIWccsGiLfT5UgITXphzNakORGtXC1oMIY2GDVrBZ4XVoXzPr-P-qu8RVqGQ_8PmkJz6o3T1Q/s320/P1010345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-37544698251442517872012-02-08T20:42:00.002-07:002012-02-08T23:18:28.997-07:00The Rogue StoneIt has been a while since my last post, so I figured I would start updating you on my latest creations. Since winter set in, I have been refilling my fly boxes that had become greatly diminished throughout the summer and fall due to the many trips around the state. Alyssa and I visited the Taylor where we spent some time hooking up with several nice rainbows and browns. We also fished the Big Thompson, the South Platte, Clear Creek, and Bear Creek. These are all great areas here in Colorado! However; let’s not forget our time meandering through the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee where the fish may not have been monsters, but the tranquility and solitude that the area provided more than made up for the lack of trophy trout available for us. Overall it was a great season!<br />
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Let’s see… While tying a few hoppers, I realized that I had never tied any salmon flies and this is odd because it is a hatch that I love to fish. When these bugs are on, the river comes alive with activity and you feel almost as if you are in a Wild West shoot out as you cast toward so many aggressively feeding trout. The pattern that I started working on is called the Rogue Stone. This is a great fly to fish and it follows my theme of practicing more extended body patterns. <br />
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This pattern was originally created by Jack Schlotter as a durable imitation of the black stone flies he witnessed in his local town of Medford, Oregon. There are many different adaptations to this pattern, but some of the most recent that I have fished actually alter the wing to look more damaged or splayed adding to the realism. After all, stone flies don’t often land on the surface of the river with their wings perfectly folded, but rather they appear spread out and sometimes even stuck within the surface film. Add a little color variation and blacken the last segment to imitate a cluster of eggs and you have a fly that will reap havoc anywhere salmon flies are being targeted.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the most common deer hair extended bodied patterns that I have run across is the Paradrake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is my third attempt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This fly was moderately challenging as I initially had a difficult time determining the right amount of deer hair to use to create a proportionate body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong><em>Paradrake</em></strong></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5jqL1TQkYlXuBfj8TlWropbkFDgFJvCrY9QO9nxg0QLjOS2NCgVxx_KgKJUEYjmtpcxBemWOGh4r-K6lFDHNIi4wNJnTQT9hD-3j7pohTePG_aP-t6KMbQoJ5It05j5r8L9RoWlYew/s1600/P1010313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5jqL1TQkYlXuBfj8TlWropbkFDgFJvCrY9QO9nxg0QLjOS2NCgVxx_KgKJUEYjmtpcxBemWOGh4r-K6lFDHNIi4wNJnTQT9hD-3j7pohTePG_aP-t6KMbQoJ5It05j5r8L9RoWlYew/s320/P1010313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>After tying a few of these, I decided to incorporate another technique that I had been reading about that introduced the use of a needle and would require the construction of the fly to be done in the reverse order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I liked this adaptation as it created a more delicate representation which could more aptly be applied to various mayfly species.<o:p></o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Using a needle to create the body was easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just remember to coat the needle in dubbing wax as this will allow you to remove the form once the construction is complete.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><em>Modified Paradrake</em></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-U9S4AVnSoc6jcICi6ciTSaCV7EaibU-B-96cYd9_HfLyArr_E8cc8m3eokRmSo7GRCe2Qoc7PK_UOExSyIvvVGASXiUp-GTyEcQNoi7o9eSZGfwPRYIPO7Ak3OjFGPmKlVMcsOopYQ/s1600/P1010318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-U9S4AVnSoc6jcICi6ciTSaCV7EaibU-B-96cYd9_HfLyArr_E8cc8m3eokRmSo7GRCe2Qoc7PK_UOExSyIvvVGASXiUp-GTyEcQNoi7o9eSZGfwPRYIPO7Ak3OjFGPmKlVMcsOopYQ/s320/P1010318.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvH4nseDT7Y8p_fvu6_SlmlPE5CAwne7SO4ZRypK5h5CcWWoLDdbWtY5E86dq6HazcvAfenkyX14AFcOAMRLkl9y7T-xSxFZavp0vgtV8B73JwALBIsNCSkB_2DokdtCdcik2NM0zgQ/s1600/P1010314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvH4nseDT7Y8p_fvu6_SlmlPE5CAwne7SO4ZRypK5h5CcWWoLDdbWtY5E86dq6HazcvAfenkyX14AFcOAMRLkl9y7T-xSxFZavp0vgtV8B73JwALBIsNCSkB_2DokdtCdcik2NM0zgQ/s320/P1010314.JPG" width="320" /></a>Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-11767447705144670142011-10-06T22:18:00.001-06:002011-10-07T09:33:07.589-06:00Ant Patterns<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I stayed home sick today, but it didn’t take too long, once my head started to clear, to get inspired to visit the tying bench and spin up a few bugs that were missing from my fly box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ants are a pattern that I probably do not fish enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past, I have found them difficult to track on the surface and I have never been in a situation where these appeared to be the patterns that the trout were specifically targeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after talking to a few friends over the last year, I have come to realize that this is a must have pattern for any fly fisherman. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many reports have indicated that trout will often take ant patterns during the late summer months even in the middle of prevalent mayfly hatches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key to getting consistent strikes on an ant pattern is going to be size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep a few different sizes and colors in order to vary the presentation. You will want to vary that presentation when you see a trout take interest, but turn away at the last second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ant patterns will likely fish better near stream edges unless you are using a flying ant pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This variation will do well anywhere that trout may reside, even in high mountain lakes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to improve the visibility of an ant pattern, tie it with a post similar to a Parachute Adams; just keep the post small in order to avoid disrupting the profile.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Below is a flying ant that I tied today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used a yellow CDC feather for the wing in order to add some additional buoyancy, and because I have actually not seen one tied with this feather before.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmLhtvKI6pT1idFKozhxyxXEZs1nRFDsV_MUyWz5Z8u3gMUoRsBFgP4lFFq747rIQwNAHrwKTOeEradsPeEiOXrjptdnjyt-KdQH1VLPqb04vKLxQ1NW37yXfZC9nozhzmRrGFTlBpw/s1600/ant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmLhtvKI6pT1idFKozhxyxXEZs1nRFDsV_MUyWz5Z8u3gMUoRsBFgP4lFFq747rIQwNAHrwKTOeEradsPeEiOXrjptdnjyt-KdQH1VLPqb04vKLxQ1NW37yXfZC9nozhzmRrGFTlBpw/s320/ant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291147352282327805.post-71777547122229266722011-08-06T18:55:00.000-06:002011-08-06T18:55:46.369-06:00The Rubber Leg Stone<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Rubber Leg Stone has a ton of variations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a simple pattern for the novice and is highly effective during the summer, especially during periods when the rivers are running a bit higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have used this pattern on the Big Thompson, South Platte, and Taylor rivers and in all cases, was able to hook into some nice trout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is more of an impressionistic imitation, so avoid slower water as this fly may not catch the attention of fish that live in higher pressured areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most effective presentation that I have experimented with has been in moderately fast seams where the primary river current meets the edge of a slower moving section of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This fly also acts as a great attractor pattern in a nymph rig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many times I have used this as the front fly attaching many different kinds of midges behind it approximately 18 to 24 inches depending on water conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just this past weekend, I was fishing the rubber leg stone in tandem with a blue poison tung right at dusk on the Taylor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The large silhouette created by the stone and the blue color of the midge that was clearly apparent to the trout in this low-light condition, proved to be irresistible.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><em>The Rubber Leg Stone</em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2FuA1iOPbRKCPshm2A0-ckSuHuzmeP7RecBPVLKD19T9dmQLezk9JJruJZMYP2IUky7eI0j6mou3Vlp9aHoiDAf4gGrUcsZmkvaq0y-8hPiy-5E8fHYL9bpwfd_rKoA6wSc9vTm4WA/s1600/P1010265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2FuA1iOPbRKCPshm2A0-ckSuHuzmeP7RecBPVLKD19T9dmQLezk9JJruJZMYP2IUky7eI0j6mou3Vlp9aHoiDAf4gGrUcsZmkvaq0y-8hPiy-5E8fHYL9bpwfd_rKoA6wSc9vTm4WA/s320/P1010265.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Michael McFarlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13549668123575822841noreply@blogger.com0