That's a Wrap......

Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly fishing adventures. I guess it’s the time of year to look back and do a little reminiscing about the last year and, WOW, what a year! From a fishing stand point, last January we saw warmer than usual temps and the usual Jan-lull was non-existent. Spring saw fantastic fishing and Cat and I had two awesome trips to the Salt. Summer was a little depressing with the high water but I will never complain about farmers getting the water they need; I like to eat. And this fall saw some of the best Blue wing hatches I have ever seen, even I spent a few days tossing dry flies. And best of all and in all honesty, we had some of the most enjoyable and awesome clients I have ever had the chance to fish with.

As for our personal lives, Cat and I had our 15^th anniversary. Winston was doing so much better. We got to spend time with almost all of our out of town family and we got to spend some real quality days with our beautiful granddaughter.                                                                                                                             

Now looking forward to 2020. Water temps have really taken a dip over the last week and fish are beginning to move into their winter lies. Over the next several weeks it is really important to come to the river with a proper attitude. The twenty and thirty fish days are gone(unless they stock), however this is the time of the year when most people catch their biggest fish ever. Takes can be super subtle and with the fish being a little sluggish, 6x fluoro should handle even the super slabs. Once we get through the first week of February, I start licking my chops. The sun gets a little higher and the singles and doubles make their way out of their winter lies and we get some of the techiest and most incredible sight fishing of the year. So, here is your call to action, if you are looking to get a trip booked, January is a great time to work on technique and reading the water and have a shot at the pig of your dreams. If you are looking for some help sight fishing, and this should come with a warning because you will never see the river the same way again, get your day locked in between February 10^th and the end of the month.

Now, about the near future. The Fly Fishing show will be this weekend in Denver, I will be at the Blue Bonefish booth all weekend and Cat will be there with me all day Friday. If you are up there, make sure you drop by and say hello. Now, as for the blog, Cat and I have discussed maybe changing the format from a written blog to a podcast blog. If we move to more of a podcast we will keep the content much the same but it would also give us a chance to do more product reviews and also we would add in some interviews. Let us know what you think and give us your ideas on what you want to see or hear. Pics are just some of my favorite of last year As always, Connell, Cat, Winston and the drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading….

Transition......

        Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly fishing Adventures. I had some running around to do this morning and then I headed to the river. I hooked several fish right off the bat and then the river just seemed to shut down. I headed up river looking for fish and while thinking about the condition of the river, the word transition kept coming to mind. Now here is the funny thing, every time the word transition went through my head, I could feel myself getting annoyed.

            I was wondering why the word was so irritating and then I realized, it’s because I’m a Husker fan. Why you ask, I remember watching the Huskers as far back as the early 70’s and I kind of took them for granted. Year after year they were always top ten. For thirty plus years there wasn’t a more consistently great football team in the country and was topped off by three Natties in the mid-nineties. Our coach retired in 97 and we were warned the Husker program might be transition. The next coach did good but you could see the top end was dropping. The next three coaches were about a different as could be possible, but in constant transition. Two years ago, the prodigal son coach showed up and even though we were warned we need to be patient during the transition, us fans were expecting big changes. Well we are back to being in the transition stage.  Good plays here, good quarters there, good halve now and then and even a few good full games but way too many times I just want to yell at the TV, “can you please get it together”. Yes, my Huskers are in transition, and even though I might get a little more irritated than I should, I’ll continue to watch because I know soon enough, they will be really good again, and I don’t want to miss those few good plays.

            Yep the river is in transition. The last several weeks have been some of the best early winter conditions that I can remember. Fish were gorging most days and at times, if you could hit the water, you could catch fish. The last few days out, I noticed the water temps have been dropping and the BWO hatches are beginning to slow down. My first hour on the water was pretty much lights out and it felt like watching my Huskers in the third quarter of the Hawkeye game, and then after an hour, it was like watching the Northern Illinois game. Yea, we won, but there wasn’t much to talk smack about. I switched back to my nymph rig and hooked a few piggies, like the Maryland game, before calling it a day.

            So, here is what to expect over the next few weeks. Moments will be good and at times you might want to pull your hair out. But here is the most important thing to understand over the next few weeks. Today is not yesterday, this morning is not this afternoon, and this week is definitely not two weeks ago. And just because yesterday might have been on fire, it doesn't mean today will be the same. Bugs are getting small and even when the fish are eating, make sure your drifts are perfect. And please understand, if you stop by the shop and ask us what flies are working and while answering, you jump in and say you caught three twenty inchers three weeks ago on a size 14 Orange Copper John, it’s not the same river. Anyway, get out and have fun whether you catch two or fifty fish, enjoy.

            A few things to bring up before I finish. This Saturday will be the annual Fishmas Party at the Drift Fly Shop. This year we will be doing it a little different. We will be running the party all day with deals going all day. We will have snacks all day and drawing winners can come in any time. From five to Seven we will have wings and adult beverages. Hope you get out to fish and stop by.

            Next, if you were toying with joining us in Belize, space is running out. We have one room left in the main lodge and two int the new upgraded lodge. Also, on Thursday January 9^th, I will be tying up some of my favorite Salt patterns. There is no cost for this but please let us know ahead of time so we can get the shop set up. You can call the shop or message me to confirm. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, Scott Frost and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading….

           

           

Winter Tips !!!!

           Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly fishing Adventures. With Winter coming in so fast and furious this year I wanted to toss out a few winter tips but I need to start with a warning, if you are offended by a little adult content, this post is not for you.

          While standing in the river today I began thinking about an event that happened to me a few years ago. It was mid-December and we were several days into a nasty cold spell. Water temps were still in the low 50’s but outside temps were around 10 degrees and the breeze had me chilled to the bone. Someone with a functioning brain would have been home curled up on the couch but I was out stalking trout. I was half a mile above the NC area and the water had cleared and I was looking for fish and side stepping down river. I caught a little flash down to the right and I began to move, my foot was stopped by a rock but my momentum already had me moving.  I was three quarters the way down when somehow, and I have no idea how, I was able to get upright and probably save my life. I stood there for a second and realized how similar this was to my very first sexual experience. Both physical and emotionally the were the same, my legs were shaking and every muscle in my body was twitching. My emotions went from complete terror from not knowing exactly what was going on, and then complete joy knowing I may never look at life the same way again. And finally, in both experiences, I sat up, took a gulp of air and then looked around and saw I was completely alone.

          All fun aside, I have thought about that day many times over the years. Had I actually ended up in the river that day, I’m not sure I would have made it back to the car. So please on those super cold days, take a friend with you. One, if you do get in trouble you have help and secondly, and like the other experience, it’s so much more enjoyable with someone else.

          The second tip has to do with how to take care of the fish for pics. Now I’m not biologist but my wife is and we don’t believe there is any way pulling a fish out of 55-degree water and holding him out in 10 degree weather can be good for fish. I know when I get out of my hot tub at night and run into the house, I get really cold quickly and my lungs aren’t exposed. So please on the super cold days, take a quick pic and get them back fast.

          Next tip, stop by the shop and get yourself a bucket full of FOD’s. Water temps are dropping fast and the plethora of bugs and hatches we were seeing a few weeks ago have diminished to small midges and BWO’s. The other day I was hooking a few and as soon as I put a FOD on, it just turned on.

          And the last winter tip, is how to deal with perhaps another really long winter. Now I have no idea how this winter plays out but if October is any indication, the season will be awful. The lodge Cat and I go to in Belize has added a few upgraded rooms and April in Belize is a great way enjoy the cold. We still have a few rooms left and right now is the least expensive time to get airfare. If you are interested, please let us know quickly.

          As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading…….

Mind Games...

            Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly fishing Adventures. Wow, I was looking back through old blogs and I realized it’s been a long time since I have written two blogs in the same week. I guess I have been letting to many outside circumstances slow my mind wandering while fishing. Today, that was not the case.

             As most of you know, I have a life long curse of being a Husker fan. So today my mind started going through some of the great moments in Husker history and I was surprised as to where my mind wandered. I was trying to think about the 70 and 71 National Championships and even the three undefeated teams in the 90’S but my mind kept drifting back to 82 heartbreaking loss to PSU, where they caught a ball three yards out of bounds and the refs gave them the catch. In 83, it was a failed 2 pointer that left us a point behind. In 93 it was a missed field goal as the time ran out.  And even now that I know my Huskers aren’t very good, it’s the BYU Hail Mary, and the shanked kick against CU is where my mind drifts. I was questioning myself and was wondering, am I just that negative of a person that all I seem to remember in sports is the negative. Then I thought about golf and how exactly opposite I am. I will never forget Tiger making the put on the 72^nd hole to tie up Rocco. And Tiger walking up the fairway at last years tour championship will be etched in my mind forever. So, on my trip to the river today I was hoping to see it through my golf fan eyes but my Husker eyes won out.

            When I got to the river today, I started in one of my favorite runs and landed a fish on my first drift. I hooked a few more and began to move up river. I hooked a fish or two in each run but had a really difficult time getting fish landed. I stepped into one run and put through what I thought was a perfect drift. I was just getting ready to lift and the indicator exploded across the river. As I set the hook, I immediately felt the incredible power of this fish and my attention was thoroughly aroused. I ran to the bank and chased him about thirty feet down river. I began moving him back across toward me and he gave me a huge head thrash and then headed further downstream. Now I normally fight fish very quickly, but this guy felt different. I wondered if I might possible be hooked up to a big carp or more likely a massive brown. The fish settled across the river and after a quick scan I realized this fish had no place else to run and the “real battle” was going to happen here and now. I started reeling and got him to about thirty feet and he stopped dead in his tracks. I gave him just a second to catch his breath and tried lifting him toward the surface. A light shadow turned into a giant golden silhouette and my eyes and heart nearly jumped out of my head. I hate being that guy, but conservatively he was in the mid-twenties. I started working him my way and the dreaded pop as my flies flew back my way. The fish sat at the surface, as if to mock me, for just a second and then flipped his tail and disappeared. I have no idea how many fish I have caught so far this year but like the shanked field goal attempt, that is the fish I will be thinking about when I close my eyes until at least my next big lost fish.

            The action on the river is hot right now so get here and fish. Ninjas were the hot fly today. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, Turner Gill and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading…..

What a River!!!!!!

           Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly fishing Adventures. Tis the season, nope it’s not Christmas yet, but for the phone to be in the ever-ringing mode. With the rest of Colorado beginning to cool off, anglers start looking for conditions here in P-Town. Hopefully, this write-up will help.

            If you have not been lucky enough to spend a day here during September, I just want to say sorry. The river fished really good most days and technically good the rest. What does that mean, with the right flies and the right drift, the fishing was en fuego. Clarity has been pretty poor but that didn’t seem to bother the fish.

            Now on to what is coming up. One of the trickiest parts of Fall on the river is that there is so much going on. Tricos, PMD’s, Caddis and midges hatching and tons of juvenile crayfish and minnows give fish lots of options to choose from. On days when the bugs are a little more sporadic the key is to catch a fish or two and then move on. On the few “big hatch” days, you can pick out several fish per run. The flies I will be using for the near future are the Winston Caddis, the A&W or Beaded Soft Hackle, and the Ninja. If you don’t know how to tie a few of those, stop by the shop and we can help. I am guessing the clarity ought to be all over the place the next few weeks but by the middle of October, I expect turnover to start and any clarity will be lost. I’m guessing turnover this year will unfortunately last into December. If you have been thinking about a guide trip, Tuesday and Wednesday this week look to have a few clouds and could be really great days, after that, most days in October should be technically pretty good. Get your trips booked now.

            Now a few things coming up, Saturday October 5^th we will be part of several local groups putting on the Friends of the Ark Fly Fishing Rendezvous. The reason we are putting this event on is to connect fly fishermen in the area. If you don’t have lots of people to fish with, tie, learn about conservation, and just to swap stories with, this is the event for you. We will also have a ton of Sage fly rods available for free demo, bring your flies and a driver’s license and take one for a spin.

            The next thing I want to bring up is our next years trip to Belize. We are getting close to full but I think we still need a single to share a room and boat and we may have another spot for two, get with us quickly. Hope that helps a little with the phone but I’m guessing it will still be ringing off the hook. October and early should be technically good and a great place to fish. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading…….

Jordans Client!!!

My brother Brian...

Conditions !!!!

             Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly fishing Adventures. Now that our river flows are beginning to ebb, the shop phone has been ringing off the hook for current and future river conditions. I have been lucky enough to have been guiding the river for the last ten years and have been fishing it for nearly twenty and want to let you know what I think the river has in store, but I wanted to start giving you a little perspective.

            While my youngest son was growing up, and I’m not sure if this was because of poor parenting skills, he was absolutely obsessed with sharks and tornados. His two favorite movies were Jaws and Twister. One of the more iconic scenes in Twister was when the group of storm chasers were at the drive-in and they were talking about a storm cloud that was near. The lead actor was Bill Paxton and while he was looking at the trees and dropping some dust to check the breeze, he very dramatically said “it’s already here”, but it was too late and just then the tornado takes out the movie screen, I will explain later.

            Watching the flows drop over the last few weeks I was really hoping to see improved clarity but that has not been the case. Cat and I fished the other day and the water was brown and dirty with only about a foot of clarity. Afterward, we drove up to the Reservoir and were surprised to see it was a dark blueish green and really no staining.  Now I don’t think we will be sight fishing anytime soon but I do think in the next two weeks, the river ought to turn back to what we call “summer green”. Water temps are perfect and with the amount of water in the lake, I don’t foresee any temp issues. The last few weeks of August, I expect to see great hatches of caddis and start seeing tricos. As we move into September, this is where I really expect the fishing to improve and this is also where the “it’s already here” comes into play. When the tricos go off and the fish start gorging, you want to be here there will be a few hours each day where people can have “their best day ever”. With tricos, it seems that by the time we let people know they are popping, it’s too late. Caddis, pmd’s and midges should be hatching through November. There are so many variables to when turnover starts but as of now, I am guessing mid-October and it could last a while.

            If you are looking at booking a trip with us, now is the time to get it set-up. If you wait until conditions are perfect, it may be too late. Anytime between mid-August and mid-October ought to be productive. Turnover ought to still fish pretty good but just not quite as pretty.

            Now I want to toss out some info on an upcoming event. On Saturday, October 5^th, the Drift Fly Shop, along with the Pueblo Tailwater Renegades and the Pueblo, Greenback chapter of Trout Unlimited will be hosting a Friends of the Ark, Fly fishing Extravaganza at the Lake Pueblo state Park. I can’t tell you how many times over the years I have had local clients tell me that they would love to fish more but don’t know anyone else that fly fishes. This event is planned to do several things, one is to bring the local fly-fishing community together and for people to meet some awesome other fisher people. The event will have free casting lessons, Euro and regular nymphing demos, Tenkara demos, free Sage Rod demos, free raffles and much more, so keep your calendar free.  More info later. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, the late Bill Paxton and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading……..

Probands Review......

          Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly Fishing Adventures. One of My and Cat’s favorite shows to watch on TV is Shark Tank.  We have watched nearly every episode and I can’t tell you how many times a product comes out and we laugh and say who would buy that, and so many times over the years we have heard the Sharks say that you have to identify a need and then create a solution. It has been a while since I have written a product review and so in the Shark Tank way, I will identify the problem and then let you know if I think this is the solution.

            I wanted to start by identifying the problem. I have been using Rio Fluorflex Plus tippet for years and I absolutely love my tippet. It is so consistent and strong and depending on what size I am using, I really have a great feel for the breaking strength, and yes I still break off my share of fish, but normally it is unusual circumstances. What I don’t care for is the elastic band and metal grommet that is supposed to “keep” my tippet in place. I normally keep 6 guide spools on my lanyard with two spools of 4, 5 and 6x tippet each. What I have found so frustrating over the years is the amount of times, my tippet has come out of the grommet and began unraveling. Before every guide trip, I take them off my lanyard and make sure that each spool is in perfect condition with one inch or so sticking out of each spool. When the spools are brand new, they usually hold pretty well but when you carry several, you know the dates are varied. It happens more times than not, nearly every trip out, half way through the day I have to re-tie or completely re-rig and I look down to grab my tippet and I have a ball of line tangled up.

            Cat spends much more time in the shop than I do and has seen other problems than just the unraveling. A few months back, she had one guy in the shop complaining that his fluoro had gone bad. It was not Rio, but he said it was fine when he first starting using the spool but as time went on, he thought the tippet had deteriorated. Cat took a good look at the spool and noticed that the grommet was breaking down, from pulling tippet out, and had developed a small and sharp groove that was actually damaging the tippet.

            I do the majority of my fishing sub-surface and almost exclusively use fluorocarbon so UV does not break down my tippet the same way mono-filament is damaged.

            One of the parts Cat really enjoys about working in the shop is the number of “odd” products which people have come by and tried to sell. She has had several “tippet keeper solutions” over the years and in her own Mrs. Wonderful way, she would say yes there is a problem, but is this really a solution and a needed product. She had one “solution” where a guy said all you need is a drill and a six inch clamp and a…….. and a……. and this product will be a life saver.  Another guy had a big plastic box with a few open slots. Outwardly Cat would always smile and say we would give it a try, inwardly she might be thinking “you are dead to me”. She had never seen a true solution to the problem.

            A few months back I was browsing my Fb page and an article came up about a product called Probands. I’m not sure why I opened it but as I was reading it and my first thought was, Wow. It seemed so simple and how could something so simple, really fix such a problem. I went to the reviews and the majority were really positive and then one guy claimed that Fly Fishers are such idiots and just make up problems so they can buy more gadgets, I’m guessing he fishes with a water bubble and Pistol Pete. I was intrigued so I went ahead and ordered two sets.

            So, here is my review of Probands. I wanted to first say that I don’t know if this is a problem for everyone, but for me, it definitely was. When I first got the Probands I put them on all six of the spools on my lanyard. They slipped on super easy and seemed to hold the tippet perfectly. The first day out, when I went to grab my tippet, the little tabs on the bands caught my shirt and skipped while I was pulling out my tippet. I noticed with the six spools, everything was a little crowded on my lanyard and since the water had come up, I took one of my 6x spools off and the spacing was perfect. I had no more problems grabbing tippet. I used them until run-off and then again last week at the Taylor and I can’t tell you how excited I am about the product. I have NOT had my tippet make a mess since I put on the Probands. When I purchased mine, I got two red, white and Blue bands and have set them up as red for 4x, white for 5x, and blue for 6x so it is super simple to pick the correct tippet size. The Probands also claim to protect your mono from any damaging UV rays. The only potential problem that I could foresee with the bands on, is that you cannot see how much tippet you have left on your spool. Since I always carry two of each, this won’t be a problem. I have only used the bands for a few months so I’m not sure on the durability, but after looking at the material, they look like they should last for years.

            I am in no way associated with probands and make no commission off of them but if you are tired of fighting with your “tippet keepers”, try the Probands. The website is getadriftoutdoors.com and is super simple to use. Pick out what brand tippet you are using, how many you want, pay, and they will be on the way. As always, Connell, Mrs. Wonderful, Winston, Probands and the Drift Fly Shop want to thank you for reading……..

Taylor 2019 !!!!

          Hello friends and thanks for checking in at the O’Grady Fly fishing Adventures. Well its that time of the year again, but this year Cat and Winston were not part of the Taylor trip. Its kind of strange, after the Belize and Keys vacations this year and knowing Cat was going to be stuck at home dogsitting, I was having a difficult time getting really pumped for this year’s trip. However, with the last few weeks of our river being dirty and borderline dangerous, I was actually really getting excited for the Taylor. This year’s trip included myself, Jimbo, my nephew Connor and the next Great fishing Golden Frosty.

            I got to the river just after noon on Sunday and as soon as I saw the clear water, I got goosebumps. Wow, it had only been a month since I had fished a river but it felt like a lifetime. I jumped into the first open spot and saw the fish were eating. I picked out a fish and got my flies in front of him and he said no. Gave him another look and he ate. It was a quick battle but two casts in, I had my first fish. The rain and clouds were in all day and the fish were eating all afternoon. It was one of the better days I had ever had on the Taylor and Jim was really spanking fish too. Monday we were battling the weather all day as well but once again, the fish were eating. Connor had been bait fishing with his friend above the lake the first day but wanted to try fly fishing. I spent a little time showing him the basics and then let him give it a try. He headed up and fished with his dad for a little while and when I made my way to them, Connor had the perma grin and had landed his first four fish on a fly rod. I asked him after dinner if he wanted to go down to where they were bait fishing and try the fly rod, he thought for a second and said after catching the fish in the trough, the dinks didn’t seem very exciting. I guess if he takes up tennis, maybe he should take lessons at, while entering Wimbledon.

            This morning I woke to Jim entering the trailer and telling me how cold it was outside. It was 8:30 and still only 31 degrees so I got Frosty to jump into bed with me to warm me up. I knew I was heading back to P-town this afternoon so I took a little extra time soaking up the scenery and temps and made my way to the river just after 10:00. The sun was bright and the bugs were non-existent. I caught a bow on my first cast and figured it would be another banner day but it was not to be. I hooked and landed one more fish and decided to head home. Another wonderful vacation to the Taylor.

            I started the blog talking about our river conditions here in P-town, and with the amount of snow left in the mountains and the high dirty water above Canon, I’m guessing it will be at least a few more weeks before our water gets Pueblo-esque. And yes, I know some of you are going to say that you have been catching fish. It can be done but high, muddy and dangerous water is not something I will ever encourage. The Taylor looked and fished fantastic, the high mountain lakes are opening up and the South Park lakes are fishing well. If you want to make your way up to any of those destinations, stop by the shop and we can help you get the flies you need to be successful. If you need a guide for any of those areas we can get you in touch with some of the best guides in those destinations. As always, Connell, Cat, Winston, Jimbo, Connor, Issac, Frosty and the Drift Fly shop want to thank you for reading…..