Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Worlds of Fun....


        Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly Fishing Adventures. As I was standing in the river this morning playing with the fish, my mind magically wisped me back to my youth and the few summer trips my family made down to KC. It was a different world that I grew up in, families weren’t constantly on the move and so the few times we took the day off and headed south, it was special. Our first trip I was too small to ride the biggest roller coaster I had ever seen, the Zambini Zinger, but I did get to ride the Finish Fling, a round room that spun and eventually dropped the floor while you stuck to the wall. When My kids were teens, we made the trip back because I wanted to see if it was as awesome as I remembered. Well the Zambini Zinger and the Finish Fling were long gone and I was a little saddened not being able to share my memories but what replaced those outdated rides was awesome. The newest coaster the Mamba was twice the size and the water rides were exhilarating. The last time we were there the outside temps were about a hundred degrees and the water rides were perfect.
          So how did I make the connection to World Of Fun today? I got to the river today around eight and the temps were already on the rise, it was only a short walk to the first run I wanted to fish and I was already beginning to burn up. I stepped in and got about waist high and I’m guessing anyone within a hundred yards heard me say AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! I looked down to see what I had fished with last and it looked fine to me. I tossed it up and made a quick mend, the indicator drifted about a foot and then, like the first drop on the Mamba, it exploded straight down. It was a quick back and forth battle and I would love to say I was the victor, but its not always about the picture. I was on my own today, Cat was working and I didn’t want to push it with Pooh because I knew I wanted to work the river hard. I moved from run to run and hooked fish in almost every spot and the fight in the fish was little like trying to hold tight in the old rickety wooden coaster. About noon I began to feel a slow down and decided to make my way back to the car, I hooked a few more but I was ready to go. What a day, not what I so fondly remember from Springtime but what a way to enjoy the summer heat.
          Flows dropped again today to 580cfs and the water definitely is green, that being said, the fish were eating until I left. Our fish get a little soft mouthed this time of the year so if you lose more than your share, don’t take it personally. Caught most of my fish on a Ninja and a few on the Winston Caddis. I have a few openings over the next week or so, so if you want to enjoy the river call the shop or my cell phone, 719-568-4927. Independence Day is Next week and I think Cat and I are heading out for a few days so get your trip booked now. As always Connell, Cat, Winston and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading….





Thursday, June 14, 2018

Back in the Saddle.....


          Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly Fishing Adventures. What a glorious day in O’Gradyland! As most of our readers know, for nearly seven years, I very rarely went fishing without bringing along Pooh-dog. While packing my vehicle, Winston would stare and when finished I would nod and Pooh would run for the car. He would run ahead and always stop where he knew my favorite spots were and then a year or so ago, he began to really have problems with arthritis. At one time, I took him to the vet totally expecting that it was the end but after a thorough examination, the vet told us that his problems were manageable. Winston has been on a really strong anti-inflammatory and this summer he seemed to be feeling pretty good. The last couple of week I have been taking both dogs to the Valco ponds and Winston seemed to be doing better every day. Yesterdays swimming session went so well that today I decided I would try taking him to the river.
          It has been a long time since Winston stared while packing the car and today was no different. When finished I said come on and he had a strange look on his face, I said it again, lets go Pooh and he jumped up and headed for the car. I told myself ahead of time that I really needed to control myself and gave myself a two-hour time limit. When we got to the river it appeared as if Pooh had never missed a day. We walked down and he sat down in the water just below one of my favorite runs. I looked up and could see a tail swinging back and forth and my drift went perfectly by, the indicator jumped and I lifted. The fish headed into the current and popped off almost immediately. I turned to look at Winston and he had a slight look of disgust and I could almost hear him telepathically say, that I looked like the one that hadn’t been out in eight months. I hooked and lost a few more and then finally landed a dink but Pooh-dog didn’t mind a bit. He looked so happy to get another sniff. We headed up river and hooked a few more but couldn’t get any others in and looking at the clock, although I wanted to continue, I knew I needed to leave. Pooh is napping now and looked pretty good when we got home.
          The river now is doing well, flows have been decreasing and clarity is good. Water temps are currently great and the fish are plump and strong. If you get a chance, get out and you might even get a chance to say hi to Winston. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading….