All About the "D"

          Hello all and thanks for checking in at the Championship version of the O’Grady Fly Fishing Adventures blog. So it’s been nearly 24 hours since the Broncos pulled off another seemingly improbable win, and I’m still trying to figure out how they did it. Hopefully I can get through this blog without being in too much pain; I didn’t realize that I could chew off two and a half pounds of fingernails. Anyway, what a great year to be a Bronco fan!!!!

          Cat and I made it to the river yesterday afternoon and while watching the game my mind kept bouncing back to the day on the river and yep, how it’s related to the big game itself. First of all I would have to say that on my way to the river yesterday I had very low expectations. You see I always fantasize about monster fish and so many hookups that my arm is sore, but knowing what time of the year it was, I was mainly just excited about being out.

I know watching the Broncos this year it was so strange thinking how do they keep winning, they aren’t this good, and after watching a few of the Panthers games this year, I was just hoping the game wasn’t a repeat of the Seadog game. The next thing that kept running through my head was that I sure was glad I won’t ever have to listen to Phil Simms announcing my day on the river. Could you imagine his play by play of me, “ That Connell is way too old and casts so poorly, it is clear that he could learn a thing or two from the great casters from when he was in the league”, and “ wow, when is the fly fishing federation going to figure out what a non-foul hookup is, I mean the hook was not on the tip of the fishes nose but at least a quarter of the way back down his jaw”, and lastly, when the fish kicks my tail fair and square, “ it is clear that the fish wanted it a little more than I did”. I wished so hard that there would not have been a delay and I could have listened to Logan on the radio.

And how did our day turnout, well I scored early with a second cast 19 incher to the net and I continually plugged away with a bunch of smaller fish and finished off the day with an 18 to the net. I think the highlight of the day came when Cat got to pull out a new fly that she started working on last month. She has had it on the water the last few times out but this was the first time in a while that we have seen risers. We found one group of risers and Cat put on her new fly, she snuck in quietly and on her third cast had a sipper come up and grab her fly. The “ciggle” rang out across the river and I knew for a fact that the fly worked. She landed a few and had several takes that were lost but she had done just enough to win the day.

          So as I finish up this blog, I reflect on another football season in the books. Only this year it will be with a smile. Now as for the river, we are still completely entrenched in winter conditions, fishing at times will be adequate, and at times completely pull your hair out in frustration,(assuming you have some left after the big game). My best guess is by next weekend fish ought to begin reemerging from the depths and begin staging and making their way to their love nests. We are close people, and even if Phil Simms says that everything on our river is bad, we know better. Fish yesterday were on really small Ninjas and late in the day they moved to J-bombs. You will have to check with Cat on Saturday if you want to know about her little fly. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, the relentless pass rush, and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading….