Let this morning be good to you all.
The Sun is shining here
And even if you have gray skies,
The sun is shinning above the clouds too.
In the mornings my mind wanders, meanders seems more accurate.
A slow stroll through events to come
Stopping to follow a tangent every now and then.
I wonder when we'll here the completion of EMB's bamboo stories?
Dress. Toast. Coffee. Computer.
Nope. No new updates.
What is she doing leaving us hanging like this?
Let's see, at work by 8am? I still have time.
Has any thing floated down the Poudre for us to enjoy?
The exam is next week. I think I'm on track for a passing grade.
Did I really see suckers and trout in YGF's latest video?
Oil change today.
We need more milk.
Any Owls to investigate?
Dentist appointment next week.
Just one more site before I head off. But which one?
Stripped Pajamas?
OBN?
Is that the time?
Late.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Cast 'n Swim in Warmer Waters
We seek refuge in the warmer waters of southern countries when the winters begin to drag. Fly rod in tow, I tried my hand at tropical fish. We snorkeled and SCUBA dived to find the ones we didn't catch. If you keep your eyes peeled at 3:42, you'll see my elusive Permit swimming through the frame.
Now, stop watching and go catch some fish.
*Note, I spelled the band's name wrong in the video. They are "Hey Marseilles."
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
A FlyFishilicious Care Package
A couple goodies arrived today in the mail from FlyFishilicious. I've been looking for a new hat and this fishpond cap has already cozied up upon my noggin.
Additionally, I though I would share with you a tool I love uing on the water. It is the Ty-Rite Fish hook holder. I've got and orange one hanging off my lanyard thanks to the gift from by big bro. $10.00 at cabelas online. I'm sure you could find them elsewhere. But honestly, I love this thing. It hooks your fly the way a bobber hooks onto your snoopy pole. If you have it attached to you body somewhere, you can just let it drop and not worry about losing that size 20 midge in the water or grass at your feet.
Additionally, I though I would share with you a tool I love uing on the water. It is the Ty-Rite Fish hook holder. I've got and orange one hanging off my lanyard thanks to the gift from by big bro. $10.00 at cabelas online. I'm sure you could find them elsewhere. But honestly, I love this thing. It hooks your fly the way a bobber hooks onto your snoopy pole. If you have it attached to you body somewhere, you can just let it drop and not worry about losing that size 20 midge in the water or grass at your feet.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Teva, My Feet Thank You
If not at work or running, I spend most of the summer in bare feet. The same has even been said when I wade in warmer waters. For Christmas I got some Teva wet wading shoes. I put them to work last week in Mexico while walking on sharp shoreline rocks. I even wore them to dinner a couple times because they were so comfortable. So I guess what I am trying to say is, Teva, my feet thank you. 
Saturday, February 4, 2012
The Surprises May Surprise You
We are back, safe and sound, recovering from the vacation. It's funny how a vacation far away (which usually seems more appealing) tends to leave you more tired than one spent at home.
Late last summer, we planned a trip with friends to stay in one of those all-inclusive resorts in the Yucatan Peninsula. The thought was, it will be the most hassle-free option and therefore give us the most relaxing vacation. This was mostly true. However, by the end of the trip, I think we all recognized what we gave up by choosing the all-inclusive. We lost some freedom and the joy of discovering things on our own while having a catered variety of diverse food, drinks and activities delivered to our door.
I'm not trying to complain. It was an awesome trip. An absolute blast. I think I just learned something about myself. When it comes to vacationing, for me, it is like fishing. I am happier to catchthe one fewer fish that I spent more time and energy seeking out than the buffet of fish from predictable and easily accessible waters. I want to feel like I earned it.
Okay, so now to answer your question. Did I fish? Yes. Did I fly fish? Yes. Did I get a guide? No. What did you catch? Oh, this is where you'll have to wait. I have to put together the video :)
Ha. I'm kidding. The first morning I woke at six AM and went straight for the shore. It was a pretty rocky shore with lots of surrounding reef. I am so thankful I brought my wet wading shoes. My feet would have been shredded salami without them.
I walked up about a mile to another bay. I was carrying a small box of flies, some I borrowed, some I tied and two rods loaned from my buddy, a more experienced salt water fly fisher.
At first I pulled out the eight weight and began casting a crazy charlie blindly into the Caribbean blue water. I was getting used to the intermediate weight line alternating between fast an slow retrievals when I pulled up my line to cast it out again. Their was a disproportionate splash for the line that came out of the water so I looked a little harder at the spot fifteen feet in front of me. I saw a flash of a large silvery body with the build and size of a boxy pillow and a large, black, sickled tail. I could see it clearly. This was a permit. One of the trophies many salt water fisherman seek. And this one was seriously as big as my torso.
In the split second it took for me to recognize what I just saw and to simultaneously crap my pants, I began to cast my fly to lead the permit. It didn't matter. I had obviously spooked the fish as it blasted away from me leaving a large wake.
I really couldn't have expected to hook, let alone see a trophy fish within my first few minutes of fishing in Mexico. I'm sure it was just coincidence the fish was near my fly. There is no way it was actually interested. Right?
Anyway, I was elated. The morning's hike, with no prior knowledge of the area and no experience tropical fly fishing had resulted in a sweet sighting.
I slowly made my way back, casting here and there, switching flies intermittently, and looking for fish.
As I got back to our hotel area, I realized these waters were the most similar to the flats I read about and had seen in many fishing videos. I greedily pushed out the memory of a "be careful of the reef" sign and carefully waded out to begin casting.
A short tangent here, I did (and still do) feel guilty about wading around the reef. I am fully aware of the damage an errant step or kick can cause to coral, so even though I was being as careful as possible, like abstinence, the only truly safe thing for the reef would have been for me not to wade there at all.
Anyway, I began casting to the edges of rocks, slowly retrieving a small shrimp-like puff I had tied. It wasn't ten minutes before I caught my first two reef fish. I don't know the species, but one seemed similar to the croaker I catch here in Virginia.
Ten minutes after that, while slowly retrieving the fly through a flat, I set the hook on a lively fish. It weaved back and forth, testing my drag, finally surfacing to show me its slender body, silvery armor and white belly. I laughed out loud (I now realize I do this a lot while fishing). I had hooked my fist bonefish, and a minute later, I had landed my first bonefish. It was gorgeous.
I honestly thought about quitting right there. Even though I hadn't sight fished for this guy, I had done it. I had caught a fish so many people obsess over. One of the big name tropical fish. The one carp fisherman tend to site when they are trying to convince other fly fisherman of the validity of their catch.
After getting my video, releasing the fish and trying to wash off the semen-like substance left all over my hands and shorts from the fish (no one tells you about that, bonefish are covered in a nasty slime), I began casting again. I caught a couple more bonefish, but the next best thing that happened was spotting a swimming trigger fish. Just cruising along, I got it to follow my fly and take it on the second cast. Trigger fish can fight. It took a couple big runs and then the fly came out. After that, I was done. I felt complete. Accomplished.
I fished a couple more times over the next few days landing a few more fish. I even hiked back to the far bay in search of that permit with no luck.
I expected to be surprised by the all-inclusive resort, but I didn't expect to long for the less-inclusive. Additionally, I hoped I would see some fish and maybe catch one, but I didn't expect to catch several bonefish, sight fish a trigger fish, and spot a huge permit. Even though I had anticipated and hoped for some of these things, I was still surprised at how it all worked out. There is something to be said about being surprised. Sometimes you work hard all day to find fish, and get nothing. Surprise. Sometimes you plan on catching nothing and come away with more than you had hoped. Surprise. Either way, it seems it is the surprises that make the experience memorable and not the predictability.
Surprisingly, this taste of bonefish has now given me the craving for carp.
Late last summer, we planned a trip with friends to stay in one of those all-inclusive resorts in the Yucatan Peninsula. The thought was, it will be the most hassle-free option and therefore give us the most relaxing vacation. This was mostly true. However, by the end of the trip, I think we all recognized what we gave up by choosing the all-inclusive. We lost some freedom and the joy of discovering things on our own while having a catered variety of diverse food, drinks and activities delivered to our door.
I'm not trying to complain. It was an awesome trip. An absolute blast. I think I just learned something about myself. When it comes to vacationing, for me, it is like fishing. I am happier to catch
Ha. I'm kidding. The first morning I woke at six AM and went straight for the shore. It was a pretty rocky shore with lots of surrounding reef. I am so thankful I brought my wet wading shoes. My feet would have been shredded salami without them.
I walked up about a mile to another bay. I was carrying a small box of flies, some I borrowed, some I tied and two rods loaned from my buddy, a more experienced salt water fly fisher.
At first I pulled out the eight weight and began casting a crazy charlie blindly into the Caribbean blue water. I was getting used to the intermediate weight line alternating between fast an slow retrievals when I pulled up my line to cast it out again. Their was a disproportionate splash for the line that came out of the water so I looked a little harder at the spot fifteen feet in front of me. I saw a flash of a large silvery body with the build and size of a boxy pillow and a large, black, sickled tail. I could see it clearly. This was a permit. One of the trophies many salt water fisherman seek. And this one was seriously as big as my torso.
In the split second it took for me to recognize what I just saw and to simultaneously crap my pants, I began to cast my fly to lead the permit. It didn't matter. I had obviously spooked the fish as it blasted away from me leaving a large wake.
I really couldn't have expected to hook, let alone see a trophy fish within my first few minutes of fishing in Mexico. I'm sure it was just coincidence the fish was near my fly. There is no way it was actually interested. Right?
Anyway, I was elated. The morning's hike, with no prior knowledge of the area and no experience tropical fly fishing had resulted in a sweet sighting.
I slowly made my way back, casting here and there, switching flies intermittently, and looking for fish.
As I got back to our hotel area, I realized these waters were the most similar to the flats I read about and had seen in many fishing videos. I greedily pushed out the memory of a "be careful of the reef" sign and carefully waded out to begin casting.
A short tangent here, I did (and still do) feel guilty about wading around the reef. I am fully aware of the damage an errant step or kick can cause to coral, so even though I was being as careful as possible, like abstinence, the only truly safe thing for the reef would have been for me not to wade there at all.
Anyway, I began casting to the edges of rocks, slowly retrieving a small shrimp-like puff I had tied. It wasn't ten minutes before I caught my first two reef fish. I don't know the species, but one seemed similar to the croaker I catch here in Virginia.
Ten minutes after that, while slowly retrieving the fly through a flat, I set the hook on a lively fish. It weaved back and forth, testing my drag, finally surfacing to show me its slender body, silvery armor and white belly. I laughed out loud (I now realize I do this a lot while fishing). I had hooked my fist bonefish, and a minute later, I had landed my first bonefish. It was gorgeous.
I honestly thought about quitting right there. Even though I hadn't sight fished for this guy, I had done it. I had caught a fish so many people obsess over. One of the big name tropical fish. The one carp fisherman tend to site when they are trying to convince other fly fisherman of the validity of their catch.
After getting my video, releasing the fish and trying to wash off the semen-like substance left all over my hands and shorts from the fish (no one tells you about that, bonefish are covered in a nasty slime), I began casting again. I caught a couple more bonefish, but the next best thing that happened was spotting a swimming trigger fish. Just cruising along, I got it to follow my fly and take it on the second cast. Trigger fish can fight. It took a couple big runs and then the fly came out. After that, I was done. I felt complete. Accomplished.
I fished a couple more times over the next few days landing a few more fish. I even hiked back to the far bay in search of that permit with no luck.
I expected to be surprised by the all-inclusive resort, but I didn't expect to long for the less-inclusive. Additionally, I hoped I would see some fish and maybe catch one, but I didn't expect to catch several bonefish, sight fish a trigger fish, and spot a huge permit. Even though I had anticipated and hoped for some of these things, I was still surprised at how it all worked out. There is something to be said about being surprised. Sometimes you work hard all day to find fish, and get nothing. Surprise. Sometimes you plan on catching nothing and come away with more than you had hoped. Surprise. Either way, it seems it is the surprises that make the experience memorable and not the predictability.
Surprisingly, this taste of bonefish has now given me the craving for carp.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Rest Easy, Friday Night: Vol. 6: Vacation Edition
 |
| The Bay |
Tomorrow morning,
Sara and I are heading for warmer waters.
Fly rod and box in tow
My mornings will be spent lurking the beach
Watching the water for shifting shadows
And tailing fish, a poker player with an obvious tell.
I've been a houseplant resting
By a poorly lit window
Trying my best to look green.
I've only been able to pull off
The pale shade of lima been.
 |
| Flies for The Trip. |
Tomorrow, tomorrow
Soak up the sun
On borrowed time.
Drink the food
And eat the vine
For vacations last
Too short in time.
As I leave you all
To your own devices
To your own devices
I share with you
Beautiful voices.
The tunes that fill my mind
As I walk through wards
And daydream of places
blue and warm.
To start I want to show you
Something quite unique.
The Tune Yards are a band
You have to see.
Next is someone
I've enjoyed for several years.
Lisa Hannigan used to back up Damien Rice
But she's now out on her own for you to hear.
And lastly, is someone I found on
YouTube.
Zee Avi has an island feel
With an old school voice.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Gray Skies, Brown Trout
Things are getting a little out of hand. The excuses to fish are becoming easier to find. The need to make these flicks is getting harder to resist. Oh well. As long as I can keep up with my other responsibilities, there's no harm in having a hobby, right? Right :)
I guess the question is, when is it a hobby, and when is it an obsession?
Music by Ray Lamontagne: "Repo Man"
I guess the question is, when is it a hobby, and when is it an obsession?
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