Bait and switch…trade you trophy pike fishing for a handful of muskies

Matt’s Rant: Stocking tiger muskie is something that I applaud greatly for many reasons. However, there is little evidence to support the argument that tiger muskie help control certain fish populations while avoiding others. What this article clearly suggest in my opinion is the fact that Western Slope water managers continue their efforts to remove pike from the area altogether (along with a few other game species such as mackinaw\lake trout and smallmouth bass). When all is said and done these efforts will eliminate non-trout species on the Western Slope and when anyone complains they will respond with, “Well we put a couple of tiger muskie in there for ya all.”

In closing of this rant I want to reiterate that stocking tiger muskie is great for sport fishing. But I do not wish to trade a handful of tiger muskies in exchange for the end of trophy pike fishing in Colorado. Pitching this idea as native species management is greatly flawed. In my view this is nothing more than a bait and switch. As you read this, more waters are being targeted.

Below is the article from the Denver Post that started me on this rant.

State biologists to import tiger muskies for Colorado River basin - The Denver Post

State wildlife managers plan to save endangered fish along the Colorado River by importing a striped, saber-toothed predator, in hopes it will devour existing invaders that prey on vulnerable natives.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife managers are talking about transplanting tiger muskies, which they believe will aggressively hunt down northern pike. First, they must protect it from the growing practice of spearfishing, archery fishing and gigging — a pitchfork-like device.

Northern pike — imported in the 1940s for state-led stocking and later spread illegally — are prolific spawners and are proliferating around the river basin. Tiger muskies are crossbred from northern pike and muskellunge and are sterile.

The pike threaten recovery of four native species struggling to survive as flows of the Colorado River and its tributaries are disrupted by water diversions to cities. Those are the Colorado pikeminnows, razorback suckers, humpback chub and bonytail.

Link to full article below:

http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_23178680/state-biologists-import-tiger-muskies-colorado-river-basin?source=rss

Bass game delayed by Crappie

The black crappie is a species that tastes so good people may not stop and look at how spectacular it can be in regards to color as well as fin placement. In the panfish category for Colorado the crappie species is as close to tropical as a Mattabsasser gets in this mountain desert.

 

 

A few weeks ago I was bass fishing and rolled on top of a large section of trees that had been pushed into the water. This was done purposely to create a thick wood structure for baitfish and smaller organisms to seek shelter. A small tap on the bass rig and a flash of white below the water’s surface was a sure indication of crappie in the area. A quick downsize switch up and I was banging a few wannabe slabs.

My favorite rig for crappie is a mister twister 1/8oz jig. In heavy cover I may work a 1-2” grub weightless and hope the fish doesn’t hang me up in the junk on a deep hookset. White, black and chartreuse are three colors I try to keep on hand in one box with jig heads and grubs in various sizes.

Crappie can reproduce in great numbers with each female laying 5,000-15,000 eggs per spawn. Depending on temperatures and region the crappie can spawn several times a year. In Colorado most lakes receive at least one healthy spawn of crappie where populations are viable.

In lakes or ponds with a healthy crappie population throwing lures with a combination of white and black can bring out some of the healthier fish that binge feed on crappie from time to time. My best fishing days are often the ones where I can get into some big fish and feed my panfish addiction as well.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.

News you can use-Colorado Fishing Atlas

Few things make my fish bragging more tolerable than ‘news you can use’. One of the most asked questions in regards to fishing in Colorado are “where should I go?” Hopefully this post will cover both aspects by adding the Fishing Atlas link from Colorado Parks and Wildlife to my sidebar.

This web feature allows users to search through hundreds of fishing areas within Colorado. There are several toggle features that help narrow down elements that you want or do not want to see. A few minutes of playing around and I was fairly impressed with the amount of information this new web tool has.

Realize that some of this data is antiquated and situations can change overnight. Property boundaries may or may not be accurate so some locations may need more verification. All in all I think this is exactly what a lot of anglers have been asking for.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Pages/Home.aspx

Go ahread and give this feature atour and let me know what you think. If you come across data glitches or errors, contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife via the e-mail exchange link below.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/About/Pages/AskDOW.aspx

Good luck and darn good fishing.

Cast to the warm

 

Early spring weather can vary greatly in Colorado. One day you have snow and then a warm spurt of 60-70 degrees could follow. These fluctuations in temperature create windows of opportunity for early season big fish catches. Not being able to control the day these warm spells hit I had to pull the trigger on one of my PTO days.

Launch the tooner and action is nil as the morning mist lazily rolls off the water. I start throwing a black buzzbait looking for that delicious topwater action. No bites come along so I start working through the gear options hoping to stumble across a hot pattern. Switch to the spinnerbait and after a few casts come up with a solid bite.  

The bite came practically off the bottom. This was a significant clue and a large piece of the puzzle. I started running gear as deep as possible with just enough speed to keep the lures out of trouble. The weed matte is recessed and still sporting its winter look. But even in recessed mode, algea and plant growth cover the lure if it drops down too low. A few more casts and I land the fish posted at the top.

The lure is a 3/8oz Booyah spinnerbait with chartruse\white and some black speckles. The rod is a 7-foot medium\fast action on 6lb Hi-seas mono. The reel is a Pfluegar President that I can’t say enough about.

 

Air temperature would vary by the minute and the fluctuations were extreme considering there was barely a breeze on the water. One minute you basking in 55-60 degrees in the morning and then a blast of cold air would surround you like death’s icey grip trying to slither up in attempt to steal your soul.

“Bluegill…” I mutter dropping the spinnerbait rod and grabbing the pole with a light jig.

My panfish addiction will often put my bass game on the backburner when I see a large school of gills, sunnies, crappie or even perch. I went so far as to see a psychotherapist about it. After a few fish stories the doc was gearing up and trying to work himself into next weekend’s fishing run.

 By noon the sun had melted away the cloud cover and haze. Air temps were flirting near 70-degrees and for some reason the spinnerbait action faded. I struggled for a while sorting through the pastics and a few search casts with the heavy spoons. Eventually I fell back on my jig combos and managed to land a sturdy bucketmouth to close out the day.

Post disclaimer: This trip and photos were taken at the beginning of April before the recent snows. Then the warm spurt hit and it fit the delayed material close enough for to me milk on the blogilicious. 29 degrees one day and 70 degrees the next. Maybe next week I will do a expose on how to cast heavy gear and haul it on a dog sled.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic. 

South Platte snowpack reaches 95 percent of normal

"It was huge. We finally got some late-season snow, or we would be well into the snowmelt season right now."

The snowpack in the South Platte River basin -- a major water supplier for the Front Range -- is 95 percent of normal for this time of year, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service website. As recently as April 7, it was 70 percent. The basin's peak snowpack was 90 percent of the typical peak.

To read the full article from the Boulder Daily Camera By Mitchell Byars Camera Staff Writer, please click the link below.

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_23100545/south-platte-snowpack-reaches-95-percent-normal?source=rss

Matt’s Rant: April typically is the snowiest month in Colorado and this sets the tone for conditions for the rest of the year. The big wet flakes didn’t really set in heavy amounts until the very end of the month. Truly I was in a panic and view the water situation to be beyond desperate. Colorado is not out of the woods yet but at least some areas are not in a disaster scenario that would have resulted from receiving little moisture from these recent storms.

South Platte drainages and others might even experience somewhat normal runoff this year.  I agree completely with Mage Hultstrand, assistant snow survey supervisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service…this is huge right now.

Photos from the field

Through my adventures photos are taken that never seem to make it into specific fish posts. So much of my fishing goes unseen or heard. Even though these pictures may not be ready for prime time fishing posts, I have found a way to fit them in an excerpt called “Photos from the field.”

 

Viewers may have noticed a drop off in my blogging activity which is due to several factors. Professionally I am making huge strides at work and doing my best to keep up with the ever increasing demands. The pressure is keeping me from fishing and this wears on my sanity at times. My blog is also suffering from a Win 7 upgrade that has set me back in regards to software and settings. It never fails. By the time I start figuring certain aspects of technology the format changes and I have to start all over.  

Crosswalk Elk

 

(Above: One morning while taking the kiddo to school I pass a herd of elk gathering at a school crossing sign. On my way back to the main road I see the entire group cross the road in mass using the crosswalk. Humans waited patiently and not a single horn was blown as the elk had the proper right of way.) 

Snow Dino

 

(Above: One weekend I was very fortunate and the landscape received a large amount of wet snow perfect for sculpturing. Armed with only a snow shovel and determination I spent 3-4 hours building this snow dino. The head and spikes were done last and stairs were built into the back to help make the finishing touches.) 

Snow Tinting

(Above: A seasonal fad for automobiles in Colorado is “snow tinting”. It helps block bright sunlight while driving and also hides that annoying person practically riding on top of your back bumper. Probably not the safest form of window accessory but less expensive than professional tinting.)

Eventually I will get my Win 7 and internet tweaks worked out along with making more time to fish. Thank you so much for your views, comments and rates. This blog is fueled by your support. 

.

Forest Service cuts impact summer work force-more cuts to follow

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — An 18 percent budget cut for the White River National Forest this year will impact the seasonal work force at area campgrounds and along trails this summer, including the popular Hanging Lake area in Glenwood Canyon, Forest Service spokesman Bill Kight said Wednesday.


“We are looking at 18 positions that we had last year that we can't fill this year,” Kight said, confirming that the local forest has had to cut about $3 million from its $16 million annual budget.

The cuts are separate from the anticipated across-the-board budget cuts due to the federal sequestration that went into effect last month, he said.

Those cuts will also impact the U.S. Forest Service as a whole, including local forest offices. However, the exact impact of the sequester cuts on local forest operations are not yet known.

Meanwhile, the WRNF is working on ways to make people aware of the seasonal cuts that are known, Kight said of the non-sequester reductions.

“We will have to let people know that some of what they're used to seeing will not be up and running.”

One result is that there will not be forest rangers regularly patrolling the Hanging Lake area, he said.

That will present some difficulties in terms of enforcing the numerous restrictions for the area, which draws upwards of 80,000 visitors per year.

 

Link to full article from the Post Independent:

 

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20130411/VALLEYNEWS/130419997/1083&ParentProfile=1074

 

Matt's Rant: Expect some impact from budget cuts across the board this year in regards to outdoor areas in Colorado. Some management agencies will cut staff, services and even close recreational areas this year. It may be prudent to do a little research and\or call before making summer plans. Forest Service, CDOW-State Parks and even local agencies are scrambling to make budget-ends meet.

The Max Factor

Prolog: At work I am known more or less as a fishing nut. One day Max stopped over at my office and wanted a few for a family outing at Lake McConaughy-NE. After a few scribbles on the whiteboard and some basics he headed off for vacation. On his return he exclaimed that he had little time to fish but when he did get the chance it was met with success. My tips panned out for him and I couldn’t have been more pleased.

A few months later he stops by and tells me that his family is house sitting for a guy that owns a sizeable spread of land that just so happens to have a 10-15 surface acre pond.  Moments later we penciled in a scout trip and hopefully could show Max a little bit more about the Mattsabasser fishing that I am always babbling about. March is a little early for bass fishing but the conditions were good. Then it snowed. We waited a few days for the lake to soak up the following warm trend and then reset the meet.

The Trip

I showed up on a Thursday afternoon about 5 PM. Air temp was about 55 degrees with 5-15mph winds. I had prepped three rods, medium action-seven foot length. My plan was to work a few basic patterns with Max and I having one rod with one as a backup to transition other baits. Hopefully I wouldn’t regret not bring a fourth rod.

Max walks out the front door to greet me with his daughter leading the way. She is about 7 and I immediately saw the life jacket and intent look in her eyes. This girl wanted to do more than simply cheer on the sidelines. No sir. This girl wanted to fish.  There goes the extra rod.

Reaching the edge of the pond I hand Max the rod with the jig combo. We walk out on the small dock and on the first cast he caught a fish. It was a 14-inch largemouth bass and put up a scrappy fight. Seeing he was well on his way my focus shifted to the bluegill hovering around the shoreline. At first I tried the jig and then went to my panfish setup. After a few tries I hooked up with one and then handed the rod to the fisher gal. On the second try she landed a bluegill.

From there she was catching one about every few minutes or so. These fish were suspending near the dock and the school was large enough to keep her busy for a few hours. One or two of them actually came back twice. The fish were not mobbing the bat like they do in summer. It took a bit of finesse and I was quite impressed.

Over the next few hours Max and I worked the pond and caught plenty of fish in the 14-inch range. You could cast to any fishy looking spot and get a bite. However, each fish would look almost identical to the last one caught. I explained that fish can overpopulate quite easy in private water. The overpopulation can cause various problems one of which is stunting and nearly all the fish will appear to be the same size. It may take years for the lake to recover naturally and will require some sort of natural die off. I offered some tips to improve things such as removing a substantial number of fish annually (if overpopulation was indeed the case). Max will have to take a few more trips during the year to gain more information. Of course I offered to join him whenever he wanted.

In conclusion: Huge thanks to Max and company for letting me get a taste of a pond that I have been curious about for some time. Not all private water is a glorious big fish fest. With a little effort, this body of water could jump into more of a trophy fish situation.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.

Stage 2 Water Ban-In Effect…yes, already.

As much as I wish that this ban was going into effect to improve fishing conditions, it is being done to ration a dangerously low water supply. Colorado water conditions have become dire and Stage 2 Water Restrictions are in place even earlier than anticipated. This means that homeowners (excluding private wells) can only water their lawns two days a week per the schedule. There are a few exceptions such as new trees and freshly laid sod. For the exact restrictions and more information please review the link below.

http://www.denverwater.org/Drought/DroughtRules/

As we roll into the hot summer months conditions may actually escalate into a Stage 3 Water Ban. Stage 3 will ban any outdoor watering altogether. At some point Denver Water may actually dust of my submitted recommendations  for Stage 4 water ban where households will be allowed to flush one toilet twice a day or two toilets once a day. Coffee and drinking water will be relegated to the bottle water purchased at your local grocer.

I know that my blog often sounds like some after school special about water conservation but please understand that the battle for water in Colorado becomes more serious every year. Population increases mixed with less precipitation move the discussion well outside global warming arguments and green house gas debates. The fact is Denver and other growing communities are using more water and Colorado is receiving less precipitation year after year. Colorado residents may not fully grasp how bad the situation is right now. It may take a few bad instances to illustrate the reality.

Below is a link to another article from the Coloradoan that highlights how an entire region could lose their water supply in lieu of pending fire conditions.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20130330/NEWS01/303300032/Potential-catastrophic-fire-threatens-Fort-Collins-water-supply

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.

New Zealand brown trout is possibly a world record

Otwin Kandolf said the brown trout he caught recently in New Zealand looked like a submarine because it was so long and abnormally fat. The behemoth, caught in a canal near a salmon farm, weighed 42 pounds, 1 ounce. It’s the heaviest brown trout ever caught in New Zealand and could land Kandolf in the book of world records.

“I just couldn’t believe it. It looked to me like a submarine,” Kandolf told the news station. “Very ugly, small head, big belly … Just amazing.”

If Kandolf submits his catch to the IGFA, and it’s approved, Kandolf will be recognized as the world-record holder.

The trout measured 36.6 inches long and 10.6 inches wide. Apparently it got so plump, and heavy, by feeding on pellets that drifted downstream from the salmon farm.

Kandolf plans to have the catch mounted to hang on his wall.

Check out the full artical at Grind TV.com using the link below. There are even a few screen captures of the fish taken from the local news channel.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/enormous-new-zealand-brown-trout-possibly-a-world-record/

There may be a lot of people that don't know New Zealand has some very impressive trout fishing. NZ Brown Trout are some of the largest you can find today. Last year there was a similar possible world record catch from New Zealand and that link is posted below.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2012/10/new-zealand-angler-lands-possible-world-record-brown-trout

Back in the Game

So this is the first “real” trip out on the water in a while. The winter fishing scene was pitiful due to water levels on most of the areas that I fish during the cold three. Driving by water on my way to work usually makes my casting elbow twitch. This year seeing water levels down so much brought concern and even sadness. I’m used to droughts in Colorado but it is looking more and more obvious that low water is becoming the norm. It wasn’t until the ice started rolling off that I could get excited about casting again.

Conditions for the day would start off cold compared to the spat of near 70-degree weather we received just a day or two before. The air temperature would reach a high of 60-degrees with 40% chance of rain and possibly snow depending on the altitude. Wind was mild at 5mph with occasional gust of 15mph that push my toner around pretty good if it wasn’t anchored. Drop down the fish finder unit to get the temp…”51 degrees? I didn’t expect that. Two or three casts in and the strikes hit the end of the line.

At this point I am throwing fantastic plastics and doing well with the 6” senko in dark colors. Cast out, let it sink and wait for something to pick it off the bottom. If nothing hits, lift the bait off the bottom with a raise of the rod tip. The fish would usually hit on the first or second lift as opposed to the first drop. Bump, bump…set the hook.

Move out of the first cove and start working a long incline section. The plastics did nothing. Don gets a hit on a jog and I make the switch. I pulled out one or two 14’ers and could feel myself getting back into the groove. Move off the incline and into the northeastern cove. Things just started to light up after that. Bigger fish started to attack the bait and action was about every other cast.

Coves were the most productive and on this lake there were three coves that sheltered the lake from the blasting winds with sandy banks that collected warmth. In areas where the water was one degree higher really made a difference. In the most sheltered cove I seem to get small, sporadic bites on the bait. We are talking hit and quit strikes where you feel only the bump and nothing but air when you set the hook. Most of the time in Colorado lakes\ponds small bites mean small bass, perch or something similar. Drop down to smaller bait size and see what happens. In this case I pulled up a crappie.

Smaller bass could be caught near the shallow structure but most of the quality fish were holding in deep water at the base of the incline. The best action came from fishing the bait as slow as possible just above the bottom of the lake. I could have experimented with more colors and presentations but dark color patterns seemed to do the trick.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.

Another episode of Bad Luck Creek

GOLDEN, Colo. — One vehicle careened into Clear Creek after being involved in a four-vehicle accident that closed U.S. 6 Wednesday morning.

The cause of the accident has not been officially determined by the Colorado State Patrol, but witnesses say it was sparked by the driver of a semi truck carrying 6,000 gallons of asphalt oil. They say he was driving too fast down one of the many sharp turns in Clear Creek Canyon.

The semi was heading westbound on U.S. 6 near Tunnel 1 just before 2 a.m. when it collided with an oncoming Jeep.  A sedan trying to avoid the wreck rolled over into Clear Creek. A second sedan drove into the semi, which also rolled.

Paramedics rushed a total of five people to the hospital, with two in critical condition and two in serious condition. The semi driver was the fifth injured party, and is said to have minor injuries.
Sandra Paris, the mother of victim Chris Paris, said her son and his girlfriend Jessica, also a victim, are happy to be alive.

“It was just really scary,” a teary-eyed Sandra said. “My son and Jessica are fine, they just need to be looked at for some bumps, bruises and trauma. It was just a really scary experience for a mom to get a call like this at 2 in the morning.

U.S. 6 has been closed in both direction as police continue to investigate and clean up the scene, which contains a large amount of spilled asphalt oil. There has been no timetable given by CSP for when it might reopen.

Some of that oil spilled into Clear Creek, but according to CSP, the creek is frozen, so none of the oil was able to contaminate the body of water.

 http://kdvr.com/2013/01/23/multi-vehicle-clear-creek-canyon-accident-injures-5-closes-u-s-6/

Smokey T

Looking for any scrap of water for a quick Saturday run we went with an option Don and I know well. Early meet up and drive in the dark with strong winds rocking us the whole way.

“Ah, these winds will be much less once we get there.” 

I said this trying to paint a positive spin on the morning. Don just looked at me knowing full well that this was wishful thinking at best. Reach the parking area and everything is whipping sideways. Don opens the door and inside the vehicle looks like an airlock was opened in outer space. We both fight our way to the hatchback and start gearing up. Or try to for that matter.

“Should have brought that extra rope!” I yell over the blustering wind. “Might need to anchor the truck down.”

 

At first light we make our way to the water and go to work. Both of us dust off some rust with a few missed hook-sets. But it doesn’t take long before things fall into place and the brown trout come to the hand.

CFS was low but consistent with this time of year. The lakes above are being drained. This fed sediment and decayed algae downstream. Water quality was poor and the rig needed some cleaning maintenance after every cast or so. Far from ideal conditions but doable.

 

Release the fish and wind starts blasting onto wet hands. Because wetting the hands is so crucial for the fish in this stretch an angler needed to recuperate the hands along with the fish released back into the water.

Don hooked into a number of fish and really took over in the last half of the game. Maybe it was the slight adjustment or it was the fact my fingers turned to mutiny after the first few releases. 

A very impressive brown trout for this stretch with a very modest hold on Don’s part. I might have mugged it up a little more with too much forward hold and some kind of angry grimace.

Managed one rainbow that looked to be a stocker that has held out for a while. In a few years this fish could get burly looking from living a river life as opposed to a hatchery existence. I almost fell in by the way reaching down to land this fish. No matter how secure I think a rock is, it can still turn against me at any moment.

 

It has been too long since I have hit some water. Work is still super crazy. Things may actually get crazier for me in the next month or two as several projects roll through at the same time. As much as I love fishing there are bills to pay and deadlines to meet. Hopefully I can still get a few casts in. Thank you so much for your patience and continued patronage during this fishing dry spell.  

Conditions:

Altitude: 7,522 feet

Early morning, Temp 35-45 degrees F.

Mostly cloudy\heavy smoke haze

Water-heavy\medium stain-temp unknown

Wind: @#$% was blowing sideways early. By 10:00AM smoke was chocking us out.

My name is Matt and went too days without fishing.

Photos from the field

Through my adventures photos are taken that never seem to make it into specific fish posts. So much of my fishing goes unseen or heard. Even though these pictures may not be ready for prime time fishing posts, I have found a way to fit them in an excerpt called “Photos from the field.”

This excerpt of PFTF was originally intended for October but a project at work that started out crazy turned completely sideways. We lost a key person at the worst time and it was everything we could do to get things back on track. Still a lot of work and we are not out of the weeds yet. No Saturday or Sunday fishing trips and I take work home in the evenings. Fail the project-lose the job.

Through the Fog

(Above: The future is never certain and destiny often hangs on the horizon through a misty haze. Some journeys require many steps through hazy fog before reaching the destination. May your path be clear and your steps carefully calculated.)

The Bugle

(Above: Every year I try to take a journey into the high country in search of fall colors and elk. Here is a sizeable bull making a challenge to other males while gathering a respectable harem.)

Bull and Harem

(Above: Here is a “king” bull with a massive harem hidden in the tall grass. This bull was massive enough to ward of most challengers with some aggressive posturing.)

Not everyone wins

(Above: There is no second place when it comes to the elk rut. You have to win in order to gain the harem and a bull elk may have to stand many challenges. One loss and you have to start over. This bull lost one side of his rack in a recent exchange. Tired and breathing heavy this beast will have to buy his time until next year.)

A number of these pictures came from the old Canon camera that finally died on me. Hopefully I can get the pawnshop camera upgraded as well as make some time to fish. This will be the longest non-fishing dry spell that I have ever encountered. If there was any time to complain, believe me I surely would. Rest assured this project will soon pass and my career will hopefully emerge all the better for rising to meet the challenge. Once that challenge is conquered I will fish.

Thank you so much for your views, comments and rates. This blog is fueled by your support. 

Good luck and good blogging.

Signs of improvement-Fishing Closure lifted for Bear Creek (Jefferson County)

DENVER -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife is lifting a voluntary fishing closure on Bear Creek upstream of Bear Creek Reservoir.

Due to critically low flows and high water temperatures in July of this year, anglers were encouraged to seek fishing opportunities elsewhere in the Denver Metro Area or in the South Platte Basin

"The voluntary fishing closure in Bear Creek likely protected the fishery from countless unnecessary mortalities," said Reid DeWalt, Area Wildlife Manager in Jefferson County. "Colorado Parks and Wildlife appreciates the ethical commitment of our anglers in protecting this resource."

For more information about fishing in Colorado, please visit:

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/Pages/Fishing.aspx

Matt’s Rant: Hot and dry conditions spell disaster for trout. I have had to put a lot of my summer trout fishing on hold because the conditions had these fin slappers clinging to life. Now the temperatures are coming down. Scalding day temps will bring stress to fish in many ways. Evaporation merely scratches the surface. This year we had dangerously high temps overnight and this greatly compounds the overall moisture dynamic. Trapped in conditions such as this will often result in fish die-off. Large fish require the most oxygen and my guess is a lot of places may have lost some of their best gamefish.

Now we are starting to see a regular dose of day temps that are less scalding and evening temps that are downright frigid. This helps a lot and might just let me feel a little less guilty about a creek run here and there (Not Bear Creek by the way) for smaller fish while opening a window for larger waters in areas that have been a regulated or requested fish no-go.

A Widow Maker Run-been a while

There are a few sections of the creek guarded by vertical canyons and fast water. It has been so long since I have been through this stretch that my mind completely forgot how treacherous a small slip of water could really be. Park the truck, grab the gear and look downstream. “Oh, I remember this.” Reset expectations.

After scaling a small portion of rocks I make my way to the large pool and pull out a small brown trout out of the deep flat water. Pretty much running scandalous stuff by most standards with two spin rods, minnow pattern on one side and a gold spinbug setup on the other.  Considering the loosie-goosie regulations on creeks these days most people could be happy I am not running bait and take. Minnow pattern seemed to get the most action.

Fish the deep pool and then climb upward about a fifty-feet or so. Grab a metal cable and swing over the vertical drop with a bunch of fishing gear. Climb my way down and then wade through a few inches of water to the next rock outcropping. I would cast into the water any chance that was available expecting some enormous fish to attack the lure.

“No one has ever fished back here…” I urge myself forward discarding a few footprints and anonymous debris. “These are just signs of mountaineers, miners, hikers….anything but anglers.”

In between the rock outcroppings and get your feet wet areas there are small flat sections of water. Flat sections of water that almost sing out to you like sirens from heaven. An angler can actually walk around in these areas and cast without having to contend with trees, cliffs or fumbling over boulders. Unfortunately the better the water looked, the worse the action was. What I expected to be forbidden paradise turned out to be the longest eighteen holes I ever played in my life. Well maybe.

Casting upstream, across and downstream on every scrap of water I managed to pull out a few fish. My largest catches came from secondary spots. Smaller rocks that create a slack current just enough to hold one fish was more or less my sweet spot on this trip. Stumbling over a few sets of footprints made me wonder if this area was as secluded as I thought.

Picked up a few small brown trout on the gold spinbug. The slightly gray coloring on this one suggests the fish is fighting off some stress. One quick shot and then let it go. “Hope you get better there little buddy.” Kick myself for handling this fish. Handling fish causes stress. No way around it especially trout. Wet hands, handle with care and handle less.  

This is the first real post from the quick pickup camera from a pawnshop, no-foolin’. A thirty-dollar digital snap and go that hopefully fills the gap until I get something more professional. I guess the good news is that my blogilicious hasn’t been inundated with cell phone fish shots and then a story about how I dropped said cell phone in the water.

Deep into the canyon section that seems like a distant memory from the road I hope to find deep pools and big fish. Ironwork from an old rail system lingers at my feet. Steal rails rusted by time adding to the feeling and mystique of forgotten times. Hopefully I can get on of these shots into my upcoming Photos From The Field-Shameless plug. 

Fall colors are still on the trees as well as blanketing the trail. Magnificent stuff and my shots don’t begin to do it justice. Surrounded in all of this splendor it is almost enough to make a person forget the twisted ankle, scraped knee and that moment where I could fallen about a hundred feet or so. As soon as I reached the bottom the realization hit me…”I should have filmed that somehow.” It was then that I was determined to wade around the deep pool regardless of the distance to reach a slow shallow spot.

Work another small pocket of water casting upstream and hook into this dark brownie. The blotches almost power out the smaller dots. And of course the camera manages to focus in on the moving water below and slightly blurs out the fish.

All of the action was from brown trout and numbers of fish were frequent. The cloudy weather may have not helped my photos but it certainly gave me the best chances for shallow water. When you stumbled upon an active spot it was east to tell. Run your gear and see what happens. In this case I continued to get seated in the “one size fits all” category. Smaller fish would strike but the largest I could come up might stretch a wood ruler.  

After going less than a half-mile or so I run into another immense large rock outcropping. This one  was blocking me from moving forward on one side. To climb around it I would have to hike up and over the tall formation. This would take a lot of time and effort to fish some spotty pockets of water. To wade across would require me to backtrack a few hundred feet to the shallower sections. With a heavy sigh I conceded. My efforts were spent backtracking and exploring the trail on the other side of the parking lot. 

To fish this section I needed to wade across the creek and follow the old wagon road trail. A slight bushwack and then you hit a stretch that people only look at as they drive by. Every once in a while you see a mountaineer tackling the knuckle but more often than not you find small trout and the stretch to yourself…even on Saturday.   

All said I would suggest this section of the creek more for the hikers and mountaineers. For this amount of physical effort I expect to see larger fish. This doesn’t mean that I actually catch them but when you can see 90% of the bottom you fish all you see and cast heavily into the unknown. Most fish will rise enough just enough to laugh at me or take the lure. This trip I missed a few and hooked up when I wanted it most. Maybe there is a pounder there…you would really have to dig that fish out.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic

The African fish eagle's diet usually consists of fish and small mammals, but that's not always the case.

An image shot by a safari guide shows the powerful bird snatching up a juvenile Nile crocodile from the banks of a river in Tanzania.

The fully grown Nile crocodile is one of the most dangerous predators in Africa. Its diet is varied, and includes fish, zebras, cattle, sheep, young hippopotami, birds, other crocodiles and humans, but until it grows to adulthood, the young crocodile is also prey.

The takedown happened inside the Selous Game Reserve, and was photographed by Mark Sheridan-Johnson, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

link and credit to ABC News who picked this up from The Telegraph Newspaper.

Some late gills

Normally I am only chasing bluegills and sunfish in the early summer. Stumbling across a group of gills suspending off of wood structure the other day I had to give them a cast. There was a decent grouping of fish with good size and something I don’t typically see so late in the year. Switching up from streamer to nymph, my casting elbow went to work on these little guys.

First up was a beaded head nymph. The sun would catch the brass and the fish would go after it. More than once a fish would take a nip rather than a more committing bite. This typically means the pattern is off a little. A few more curious looks and I switch up again.  

The next pattern is a smaller brown nymph with some horsehair. This gave the fly more of a hackled look and offered a bit of crunch when the fish bite down. This was the ticket and fish would commit on the first swipe.  

A helpful hint when fishing for late season gills is to keep the bait moving rather than leave it stationary. This gives the lure more of a fleeing motion and the fish will hit more aggressively. It works best if you are sight fishing as you can gauge the movement of the bait with the fish’s demeanor.

The gill action was so good later in the day that I virtually forgot about bass fishing. Of course it helps that I managed to catch a few buckets on the frigid morning bite.

 The fall fishing season is underway. I have had to change my game from fast to slow for the bass. The bluegill action is so sporadic at this time of year that I simply take it as it comes. Water temps on the smaller lakes that I fish have dropped below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. My fishing results get very inconsistent from here on out. I will have to lean on the electronics more and less on the sight fishing.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic

Fish will eat anything sometimes…even fingers.

Idaho fisherman catches fish with human finger inside.

A fisherman found a human finger in the belly of a trout caught in a remote northern Idaho lake. And detectives located the owner, who delivered a surprising message.

Despite the hard work of investigators, Haans Galassi said he did not want to be reunited with his severed digit.

"At first the sheriff asked me if I wanted it back, and I was thinking 'um, no!" Galassi, 31, said.

The reunion may bring back too much pain for Galassi, who is getting over the accident two months ago on an Idaho lake.

Galassi was wakeboarding on Priest Lake in July while holding on to a rope attached to a speed boat. Then things went terribly wrong.

He noticed too much slack in the rope, tried to correct it and the rope wrapped around his left hand, he said.

"It pulled me over in the water and dragged me for a few feet before it broke me free," Galassi said. "I didn't feel pain at first, just numbness, and I pulled my hand out of water and it was bad news. I look and see I'm missing all four fingers at that point."

Galassi was rushed to the hospital and has been trying to get by without his fingers. He learned that he can still grip and grab items such as a steering wheel with his affected hand.

And then he got the strange phone call Tuesday from Det. Gary Johnston of the Bonner County Sheriff's Department.The fisherman who found the finger on September 11 quickly put it in a freezer and called the sheriff's department, Johnston said.

"The lake is cold and deep so it was in remarkably good shape," Johnston said. "We'd fingerprinted it and sent it to the state lab to match what's on file and lo and behold, they came back and said that's Haans' little finger."

Fisherman Calvin Nolan told CNN how he made the grisly discovery as he gutted a trout caught by his friend Mark Blackstone as they fished together.

He had noticed something in the gut of the fish that he thought looked like a crawdad, or crayfish, which they had been using as bait -- but Blackstone said, "No, that's a finger."

Nolan said the digit was very well preserved when they first found it, adding: "It was as fresh as if it was on my finger."

The two fishermen, who turned the 4-5 lb trout over to the sheriff's department, were so amazed by their unlikely discovery that they both bought lottery tickets afterward, Nolan said.

"I've caught a zillion fish, but never one with a human finger," he added.

In the meantime, since Galassi said he did not want the finger, the sheriff's department will leave it in an evidence freezer in case he changes his mind, Johnston said.

And Galassi may just do that.

"Now I'm thinking, what if I can get it put back on?" he said. "I've called my doctor to see if they can put it back on and I'm waiting for him to call me back."

Link to full article on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/26/us/idaho-finger-in-trout/index.html

Matt’s Rant” Fish live to eat. When they are not fighting against the biological elements that keep them alive, fish are trying to eat. Some anglers search for the perfect pattern while others get lucky by timing things right and trickin’ ‘em. Most of my fishing is a stumbling effort in between both methods. Best wishes to Mr. Galassi and hope he continues to do well despite the accident.

Don digs out another great bass

Fishing the tail end of the summer bite and the weather was perfect. The sun was out, the wind was calm, and the air temperatures were blissfully perched in the low 70’s. You think the fishing would be great? Instead we found ourselves grinding out the day and switching up baits.

Then I see Don’s fly rod bend over as he sets the hook on a brute fish. The fish hit the streamer and went straight for the weeds. Before Don could absorb all of the slack in one hand while lifting the rod with the other the fish was burrowed in deep. The line stopped moving and we both feared that the fish had spit the hook while spinning around in the thick matte.

At first Don tried to horse the fish out of the weed-muck. Then he relaxed the rod and gave the fish all the room it needed to work itself out. Lastly he pulled on the line hoping to at least salvage his rig. The heavy clump of weeds starts to slowly rise up to the boat finally giving way.

“All I see is weeds.” Don murmurs while reaching down to start picking through the weed clump for his fly pattern.

As the clump of weeds reach the surface of the water an enormous thrashing of water takes place. Don reaches his hand in the water and pulls up a fatty bass. I get him to mug it up on one photo before he quickly removes the fly and let the fish go. We chased a small “brunch-bite” for half and hour and then went back to the doldrums.

My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.