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Pigskin Picks - Part Deux

By Anthony Bartkowski

About two weeks ago the proud Michigan Wolverine alum Kirk Deeter put in a little dandy about what fly represents the various schools as they embark upon another fall season of college football. The Maizeland Blue haze is still looming over Ann Arbor, Mich. as week three is about to get into action. Being the avid sports fan, I tip my hat to Deeter's creativity.

This weekend’s highlighted focus is upon two teams who have a much storied tradition – Notre Dame at Michigan (Golden Stone at Yellow-Maize Hopper). This game in recent seasons has usually determined BCS standings and bowl game status. Both squads are a combined 0-4. Someone is bound to be victorious in this classic gridiron battle. When Notre Dame has played at Michigan the all-time series is tied at 6 games each. The all-time record stands in Michigan’s favor 19-14-1.

The fly fishing world will pit two classic flies against each other this week many thanks to Chief Fflogger Deeter.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 0-2

“The Golden Stone (for golden dome). Did better than expected early (a strong tradition), then fell flat on its face. In two words, highly overrated.” How overrated is it? Saturday will tell.

Michigan Wolverines: 0-2

“A Yellow (maize) Hopper. Looked great throughout most of the season, then the tippet snapped on a 14-inch rainbow. Anyone who has watched the Wolverines in bowl games lately will understand the irony.” You may want to change the tippet snapping to the tippet failing with a 0-for-3-inch trout.

Who will be 1-2??? Who will still have a goosegg in the victory column???

To the victor goes the spoils. The guides have gotten together in saluting Kirk Deeter if the Maizeland Blue go down in flames this week and will present you with a congratulatory dozen flies – THE COFFIN FLY!!! This will need to be added next to Michigan in your football outlook.

The only good thing to come from the early part of the collegiate season is that viewers have not had to listen to the U of M Transcontinental Band. Then again, fans have not had the pleasure of listening to Notre Dame's Band of the Fighting Irish either… If you really must hear these obnoxious melodies, you can visit www.fightmusic.com.

I am personally leaning towards the Golden Stone hatching to the top of Michigan Stadium and singing loudly as I send a dozen flies to a friend in need of getting out into a river.

September 13, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Ridiculous Bonefishing in the Keys

The month of August, sometimes the peak of the "summer doldrums," provided some consistent fishing and some of the best bonefishing that I have ever seen. Though the weather was typical August (hot & humid with afternoon storms) the bonefish and their behavior was anything but typical. Generally, during this time of the year the bonefish are most active at first or last light or only active at midday on strong tides around the full and new moons. This year has been different.

I have been finding large schools of bones (up to a hundred fish) waking and tailing across large backcountry banks to the east of Key West. These fish have been most active at the beginning of the incoming tide, even if that occurs at midday. On some days the we are seeing five or six schools this size, waking in various directions around the boat at the same time. We are also seeing more fish actively tailing in the heat of the day. Just yesterday, we had multiple shots at large fish tailing and rooting around in less than eight inches of water at around 1:00 in the afternoon. Most of these fish were so shallow that their dorsal fins and backs were completely out of the water as they moved about looking for food. The fish have also been unusually large, averaging around 7-8 lbs with many larger than that. In fact, I caught a personal best 14 lb monster a couple of weeks ago. The fish have been fat, healthy and putting up great fights.

The permit fishing has been a little bit disappointing for the past couple of weeks, but that will surely change as we get into fall. The tarpon fishing has been very reliable. Good numbers of babies (up to about 30lbs) working basins on calm mornings and patroling the shade of mangrove shorelines. We have also had the added bonus of seeing some large fish over 100lbs laid up along quiet edges. These large fish are often more aggressive this time of the year than in the spring because they are rarely fished for and are way more relaxed.

The bonefishing and permit fishing typically get better and better as we move into September and October. The fish feel the change of season coming, the water temperature begins to moderate, and both species are outstanding fall targets. If the bonefishing is anything like August, this will be a fall that we will long remember. Hopefully, this August wasn't an abberation but it is instead a new pattern that we can expect for years to come.

September 05, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Colorado Reservoir Dogs

By Anthony Bartkowski

Labor Day Weekend was uneventful in Colorado. I took some time for myself last Friday to have an easy day of fishing. I decided to toss the single-man pontoon into the truck and try our Antero Reservoir. This reservoir has been the talk of the state since it reopened earlier this summer. I have not had a chance to try my skill at it until the other day.

I remember fishing it before it closed several years ago and it was always good. The fishing was a little below average. Of all of the fish I hooked it was a good sign to see the healthy well being and fight of all. The largest was a rainbow about 17” and a good solid girth.

The fish were keying in on green scuds, Quill Body Emergers, and BWOs. The bug activity was outstanding from the time I arrived. I decided to depart from Antero when a large lighting bolt crashed to the west. It was only 2:00 p.m. and I was far from done soaking a line. I was still in search of a good bundle of trout before calling it quits for the day.

I was headed back towards Colorado Springs and had a chance to turn off Highway 24 into Spinney Mountain or Eleven-mile Reservoirs, but in the nature of Labor Day weekend warriors I pushed the gas a little harder to venture into the Catamount Reservoirs up Pikes Peak Highway.

This was a great choice on a Friday afternoon. The fee to fish up on Pikes Peak is $4.00 per angler, a nominal fee when you think about it. The traffic was light and the Catamount parking lots even more quiet. This was the right choice upon entering the water and pushing away from the shore.

It was about two minutes from putting in my line I was hauling in a strong little rainbow of about 12 inches. The size does not matter as I was just wanted to have a lazy fishing day.

The rest of afternoon was spectacular before being pushed off the water with rain and lighting. The day concluded in the South Catamount with double digit landings on a smorgasbord of flies.

The Pikes Peak solitude provided PMD emergers, BWOs, Slumpbusters, Princes, and a smackering of Parachute Adams.

If you are in need of a quick fix from Colorado Springs, take a moment to visit the Catamount Reservoirs. The hours on the Peak for fishing is from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.

September 04, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

So Cal Skinny Water Carpin'

Talkin’ Story: So cal carpin’ on the fly

4 am comes awful early when you’ve been charging makos on a fly rod the day before and not hitting the rack until late. But, when the call came in from my buddy Johnny H, manager at a local

San Diego

fly shop, about some unreal sight casting to Carp in skinny still water over hard sand bottom I could not pass up the opportunity…

No joke …this was the most unreal sight casting I’ve ever done!! Even better then sight casting to Reds in the Gulf!! Huge pods of big carp feeding on the surface gulping everything in sight. The morning was clear, slick glass and air temps were hovering around 70 degrees.

Our weapons of choice were 6 wts floating lines and looooong leaders! 15 feet 3x floro to be exact. Now these fish were spooky so the approach had to be as stealth as possible, in fact it took us 10 minutes to sneak up on our first pod of fish and they were only 300 feet away.

The carp were feeding in big pods on the surface, so Johnny suggesting we go outside the box a bit and tie on a size 6 royal Humpy. The key , he said, was to be able to make a long cast , drop the fly close to the fish ( dinner plate sized area) see the fly and as the podding fish move towards wait until the fly disappear them set the hook.

Easier said then done… it took a number of missed hook ups before I came tight but once I got the hang of things it was on!!

Johnny and I caught and released 10 carp and one largemouth bass in two hours. Not bad for my day off. All sight casting in the “skinny” over hard sand bottom.

It was a gas, man.

cxb

See pics

August 21, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

SUMMER STEEL IS IN FULL SWING.......YEEEE-HA

We got rain and that means fresh summer steelhead on some of Oregon's finest the Deschutes River, North Umpqua, Rogue....sure there are far more steelhead litararies to write about but these are the mainstays that bring people wide and far to partake in the greatest freshwater gamefish alive. As of last week there has been good numbers for August at the Dalles Dam on the Columbia River, 1000 to 2000 fish days. A good friend of mine and fellow industry sales rep Derek Fergus went 2 for 5 in 3 hrs on the new "FERGUS MARABOU MOAL" which if you don't have yet contact myself. I suggest stocking the entire box with varying colors and they can be used for summer and winter steel as well as salmon. On another note the Rogue River half pounder run will be gearing up in the next few weeks down low and they are a blast on 6wts and elk hair caddis. The adult fish are around but still a little early for bang up fishing..contact www.trophywaters.net and tell them TYLER sent you.....Goes the same for the North Umpqua this time of year..great for skaters if the water temps stay down and the heat dissipates quickly, with this mild weather covering the state in the mornings and evenings more fish will show up. October is my favorite time on this river when the fall foliage is in full bloom and the brisk morning air fills your lungs like needles from the angry school nurse..

Getty Up-

..

August 13, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Check the flows before you fish

Fishing is still steady, even after the "Heat Wave". Most afternoons have been getting clouds and some rain. On the South Fork, the Canyon stretch has been fishing well for me. Big Grand Hoppers 2-4s, with droppers or Quigleys PMDs if seeing a hatch. Will work riffles alittle, fish still eating PMDs. Section 4, still working good for me as well, Para-hoppers on the grassy banks, getting good browns and cutthroats.

The Snake in Wyoming is good. Just went through a 3-4 day blow out and now new daily releases from Jackson Lake. If coming fishing look at waterdata.usgs.gov/wy/nwis/rt to see waterflows. Fishing mostly variations of red, purple and yellow Wing-Thing Ants and Para-hoppers with either Para-Adams, Purple Haze or red Copper Johns or bigger size Flashback Pheasant Tails. Some days the banks fish and other days the drop offs, really only one way to find out. Mostly fishing in the Grand Teton National Park. Whitewater stretch also fishing well for me.

The Aug. 1 opener of Flat Creek was interesting. If you got out early and frothed the water w/big black streamers you probably did well. If you came out for the big rising fish mid-morning to mid afternoon you might have seen a fish or two. We get ours...barely. Water temp was 56 in the heat of the day and water levels pretty low. Do the fish a favor and help yourself out. Walk around til you find a rising fish, then cast.
Some smaller pmds and some mahogonys. Small hoppers and black flying ants are good patterns.

Again, come out and fish. Do check out the water flows. On the South Fork, they have been dropping flows and its best to fish a couple of days after a big drop. On the Snake in Jackson, they are slowly raising until Sept 10 and then dropping until the winter flows. Hopefully, the slight 80-100 cfs bumps up won't miss up fishing, at least the water will remain cooler.

Curt Hamby

August 04, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tricos and Terrestrials on SW Wisconsin Spring Creeks

Although we are in warm summer conditions, the cooler nights and rainy days have kept the Trico hatch going well on many of our creeks. Trout are also feeding on terrestrials (ants, crickets, hoppers etc) during the cloudy mornings and moving back under the banks when the sun gets too bright.
Bring along a thermometer to check water temperatures. Good fishing is usually limited to the mornings when the waters have had an entire night to cool down.
Also, remember that this is prime mousing time! Tossing a big fly at night can bring some monsters out of hiding.

August 04, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Northern California Fishing Report

The midsummer doldrums that hit the Northern California region in the early weeks of July seem to have kicked the bucket, as the fishing on almost all of the local rivers has really started to pick up over the past week.

The Lower Sac is red-hot right now for big rainbows, with rubberleg stones and caddis pupae producing the most fish, and increasing dry-fly action just before dark.

The Trinity is on fire for chrome-bright fresh Chinook salmon averaging 10-20 lbs, and the big sea-run browns are just starting to roll in as well. It's still a little early for the steelhead on the Trinity, but they shouldn't be far behind.

Low water on the mountain streams slowed the fishing some, but the Upper Sac, McCloud, and Pit Rivers are all still producing some nice fish, the McCloud especially has been displaying some big browns.

Both Hat Creek and Fall River have been fishing fair with some good Trico hatches around mid-morning and some caddis in the evening.

August 01, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mako Action On Fire Off San Diego

ITS ON! AND IN A BIG WAY OFF THE SAN DIEGO COST.

50 MAKOS HOOKED AND RELEASED ON THE FLY THIS MONTH WITH 23 THIS WEEK. FISH UP TO 200 LBS WITH THE AVERAGE IN THE 80 LB RANGE.

ALBIES HAVE COOLED OFF AFTER A GOOD RUN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH.

BLUEFIN ARE SHOWING ( BUT DON'T KID YOURSELF, THEY ARE HARD TO GET)

WWW.BOWMANBLUEWATER.COM FOR MOR INFO

July 29, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Colorado Friday Coffee, Sports, Fishing - Hmmmm

Here I sit on a beautiful Colorado Friday morning sipping coffee on the patio taking in the fresh smell of nature. What a great way to start the day, however my mind is still pondering last evening as I was feverishly tying flies for this weekend’s guide trips. As I tie, I always need to have some kind of background noise – it was ESPN Sports Center.

A little background is needed – my fulltime job that I call my career is working in the sports world for USA Hockey. I have been fortunate to work with the Olympic movement for numerous years and within this industry you tend to be a sports nut, which is putting it mildly.

Over the past week the sports world has seen its turmoil:

1. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig contemplating his presence at San Francisco Giants’ games to see Barry Bonds shatter one of the most legendary marks in all of sport.

2. NBA Commissioner David Stern having to work through allegations of a referee gambling.

3. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell having to deal with the Michael Vick dog fighting allegations.

4. Tour de France organizers having to deal with more athletes being disqualified because of doping allegations.

What in the Wide World of Sports is going on? From my perspective I watch and gather the facts and research the “fallout” these stories are going to have in a marketing perspective. My head is full of confusion. I take another sip of my strong coffee and look into the distance of Pike’s Peak, the nation’s most famous mountain.

The answer – GO FISHING!!! Stop thinking about the fallout and start plotting a game plan. The Sports Center’s of the world will continue to update us on… who cares!!!

My TV is off. I may not even grab a paper. Sports radio off. My truck is loaded and ready to venture into the mountains as the Colorado Rivers are exploding with bugs. Through the week, it has been awesome reports.

From what I can tell – where would you rather be than right smack dab in the middle of a river throwing big dry flies, nymphing, and maybe tossing some streamers at great fish? Below is a recap of some of my favorite spots.

South Platte River:

11-Mile Canyon and Dream Stream – 180-190 flow as of Friday morning

On the surface: PMDs, Trico spinners, Yellow Sallies, Hoppers

Below the surface: WD40s, Rojo Midge, Black Beauty, Mercury RS2, BWO, Baetis

Cheesman Canyon – 414 flow as of Friday morning

On the surface: PMDs, Caddis, Hoppers

Below the surface: Baetis, Worms, RS2, BWO Emergers, Caddis (all forms), and more Caddis patterns

Deckers – 414 flow as of Friday morning

Flies: Same as Cheesman

Fish from the bridge up in Deckers. The fish are on the sides and make sure to toss your dries into the bank and it will be crashed. You may get lucky and catch one of the large fish that was pushed down from the Wigwam club.

North Fork of the South Platte River:

Private Ranches line this corridor of 285, however you can find some public water between Bailey and Shawnee. The flows are between 400 and 430 making it hard to land the large trout that populate these waters. If you go to the top for action, make sure you go with large bugs and put a weighted dropper off the back and toss it into the banks as the fish are holding on the sides out of the current. If you go with nymphs, try using a large attractor pattern with a bit of shine and shimmer to attract the fish for hits, and make sure to put on lots of weight. As for shimmer and shine - Wonder Worm, Bead Worm, Princes, Copper Johns (bright colors), Flashback Nymphs, and anything that is bright.

HINT – If you latch into fish, make sure to control the head and keep it close to the bank and out of the mid-stream current or you will be chasing it down stream.

South Boulder Creek:

Lincoln Hills – 172 flow as of Friday morning

On the surface: PMDs, Grey Drakes, Hoppers, Ants

Below the surface: Princes, Pheasant Tails, PMD Emergers, Stoneflies, Copper Johns, Pink Worms

This river is just on fire. Take a little bit more time to drive there, but it is worth the extra gas money. The hatches are thick and the action is feverish for flies on the top.

I will be out the entire weekend and will provide feedback for the week ahead, and come Monday morning I may pick up a newspaper to see just the scores.

-- Anthony Bartkowski

July 27, 2007 in Fishing Reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)