I Saw It......

                Hello all and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly Fishing Adventures. I’m not a big fan of commercials when it comes to watching TV, but one of the more amusing ones is the ad where two women are looking at a couch and one holds up a credit card and says, "I saw it and I just had to have it." The scene next switches to a couple of burglars and one is holding a crowbar and says, "I saw it and I just had to have it." I’m not sure if it was pure genius or complete idiocy, but while I stood in the river today, the commercial kept going through my head and I was busting my brain trying to remember what credit card the commercial was for. That’s when it hit me, it wasn’t a credit card but actually an insurance company. Well since I was thinking about it in the river today than it may be genius, but since I don’t remember who they were advertising, well you get the picture. If you are regular reader than you know that my introduction almost always has a story to go with them.

                I had a newlywed couple out on the river yesterday and as we were nearing the end of the day, Jerod hooked a fish and as it came out of the water, even I got nervous. Definitely over twenty, I could see the big hook jaw and the bright red side. Jerod perfectly worked it across the river and just as I was pulling the net, I heard a gasp, followed by a few Shucky Darns and then it just went quiet. There must have been a nick in the line because the line broke half way between the two flies. Well after we all had calmed down and got a pretty good laugh, I started thinking about that fish. I could see myself standing next to the river, holding up my X Fly Rod, and saying, "I saw it and I just had to have it." 
                With that in mind, I knew I was heading to the river today. I fished my way to “the spot” and while walking the shore I just happened to catch a glimpse of something really big cruising the bank. I could see right away that he was the biggest fish I have seen in several years here in town. Now he was a far cry from Red October of yore, but I would have guessed him to be in the twenty five to twenty six inch range. I tried to sneak in below him but he disappeared after my initial move. I headed to yesterdays battlefield and landed a few but nothing like yesterdays foe and nothing anything like this mornings. I couldn’t get that fish out of my head, I just had to have it, and so I headed back up river. I fished his spot for half an hour but never saw him again. I had one take that headed straight down river and when I saw my backing flying out of my reel I thought maybe this is the one. It was the first time on this tailwater that my backing had ever seen the light of day, but when the fish was landed she was only a hair over nineteen, her power came from her girth because she was built like a Delaney fish. I fished the rest of the afternoon and every rock cluster seemed to produce two fish, but I just couldn’t shake the thought of the monster fish.

                Shortly after this blog goes public this evening, page hits will go over the one hundred thousand mark. I’m not sure if I should be completely humbled or terrified by the thought of the number of crazies taking time to read these. It sure has been an enjoyable ride and I hope I can keep the entertainment rolling for years to come. As for the conditions on the river, as you all know, spring is my absolute favorite time of the year and this year has lived up to and even exceeded expectations. Fishing has not been easy, but it has been great. A good cast, a great drift and a little luck on the battle has been the key for great fishing days. The spring season is nearing its end so if you aren’t having the kind of success that you want, then get a trip booked now, this is by far the best time of year to get it all figured out.
               I don’t ever remember seeing so much moss in the river this early in the year, but even though it hurts the sight fishing a little, it hasn't dampened the fish appetite at all. Fish have been eating FOD’s and Black Tube Wing Midges and Ninjas. Even as I am writing this post, my mind keeps wandering to the shadow I watched today, I saw it and I just had to have it. If any of you see my wife tell her hello for me, I will be at the river until either I or one of my clients catches that fish. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, State Farm, and The Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading…….

A Positive Reflection....

                Hello all and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly Fishing Adventures. If you are tuning into this blog looking for my typical hodge-podge of goofy humor, or for my incredible fishing genius, then I’m afraid I need to tell you to stop reading now. I remember when I was in grade school and I heard the By, By, Miss America Pie song and I had a music teacher that began to cry when they sang “the day the music died”. She explained to us that it was a song about the death of Buddy Holly and that she would never listen to music in the same way. I guess I had never really understood how anything could be so powerful and today it all made sense.

                I have had so much fun writing these blogs over the years and hearing people’s reactions but I think this edition will be written just for me. My wife has often told me how much my humor comes from my father and I just smile and thank her because even if others don’t laugh, in my own mind, I am hilarious. Now my father was far from perfect, he came from a different generation, but to me he was awesome. From September until January I always knew that our conversations would be about how awful the Huskers were, about our up and down golf games, the weather, and then he would always finish by asking how Cat was getting along and if I was keeping her in line. Soon after the bowl games, the conversations were all about the nasty cold weather, that he tried to play golf but the greens were frozen, and then he would finish the conversation by asking about Cat, and if I was keeping her in line. Late spring and summer the conversations were about how poor he thought the Huskers would be next year, and then he would tell me about the one week that he broke 80 three times and that now his game was back in the crapper and then he would finish off by asking how Cat was and if I was keeping her in line. My dad very rarely told real jokes but he was king of the one liners. When we would go back to Omaha we spent a lot of time playing pool or golf and my dad’s favorite saying was that there was no shame in being beaten by the best, with a little O’Grady smirk. Several years back, I took him down to the tail water and somehow he managed to land a 21 inch brown. He was so excited but as things sunk in and his picture made it on to the shops wall of fame, he had to ask Cat every time he saw her if she had caught one as big as his yet. Now that was my dad’s usual behavior but I will say this, when I went through one of the most difficult times of my life, my dad began calling and checking on me all the time, and in his typical O’Grady humor he asked if he could send someone to get the problem in line.

                I am writing about my father because he left this world on Thursday, April 15^th and I hope that I can somehow keep the O’Grady, stupid humor tradition going. I know the song talked about the day the music died, but right now I feel like a part of the humor has left. On Friday I had Joe, a repeat client on the water and after he landed a fish, and while still fighting while I was trying to remove the hook, Joe remarked that the fish didn’t like being caught. Without hesitation, I told him that the fish should have no shame in being beaten by the best, I then had to walk away to wipe the tears. It was a start and I hope I can somehow be a positive reflection of my dad. I am happy to say that I have absolutely no regrets now that he is gone, we talked at least once a week and we had the bonus talks after every new Husker recruit, and every time Cat and I left Omaha, our last stop would be with Dad and Dee to tell them how much we love them.

                Tomorrow is Easter and a great time to spend with the people you love. Because of Easter, I am sure that my father will spend an eternity in heaven thinking of new one liners for when we meet again. I will be out of town this week but back next weekend and hopefully we can finish off spring with some great fishing. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, Hugh Arther O’Grady and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading….

Yep, It's That Time Of the Year...

              Hello friends and thanks for checking in at The O’Grady Fly Fishing Adventures. I’m guessing that my neighbors think that I am 100% bat-sh** crazy after listening to me sing this morning. I stepped out on my back porch just as the sun was breaking through the clouds and I saw the trees blossoming and turning green, two turtle doves were snuggling up to each other and you could almost see the grass coming up. Now I know that as a human being I should wait until December to sing “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”, but as a fly fisherman, I had a pretty good idea what was about to transpire for the day, and those magical lyrics echoed through my mind all afternoon.

                I had a repeat client today and we got to the river at around 11:00. We worked on a few techniques and then the river just came alive. Feeding lanes had fish going crazy and it seemed like every good cast and drift got a take. Now I would love to say that every take was a success but then I would be another one of those truth bending guides. We started measuring every fish and at one time, Glen looked at me and said that he now realizes that his San Juan guide is either a great embellisher or the measuring sticks in NM are a little different. Fish gorged on FOD’s and grey emergers for a few hours and then they moved back into the rock structures. Glen did enter the 20 inch club with one male that just tipped the 20mark.

                Water temps coming out of the dam are just a little over 45degrees and on most days the water will warm a little and get the BWO’s going. It appears that the spawn is reaching its end; we only saw two fish paired up, I guess they wanted one last ride and I don’t blame them. So to sum up what is going in the world of fly fishing, we have to go back to the Christmas song “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. Spinney opened yesterday and I have already seen some incredible pics from up there. The Ark ought to be fantastic from now until run-off, usually around Memorial Day and then I guessing we will be seeing another prolonged run-off. There is a lot of snow up in them there hills and when the heat rolls in, so will the water. The Drift has run a Spinney special the last few years and it will run from now until July 1^st. If you have seen our videos then you have seen how awesome lake fishing can be. We know that it can be intimidating so with the purchase of any Sage Accel rod or Outcast/Fishcat PONTOON boat, you will get a free sit down with Cat or I and we will go over safety, accessories, rigging, and how to hunt a lake and hopefully get you started with confidence.

                Now if you have been considering taking a guide trip with me, now is the time to call. This week only has one spot left on Friday but next week is fairly open, come see what this river has to offer. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, Bing Crosby and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading……