May 2008 Newsletter
It's May, and it feels like spring in these parts, what with the blend of blooming crabapple trees, tulips, daffodils and blinding snowstorms. Nature has a way of confusing us this time of year; one day it's shorts and sandals, and the next day it's back to long pants, sweaters and warm coats. Just hang on for a few more weeks and the weather will start to be mostly warm and mostly dry.
Fishing has been picking up with excellent reports from all over the state, including our home waters here in Boulder and Larimer Counties. We've heard of excellent catches on the Big T all the way from Loveland to well into Rocky Mountain National Park. The Park is fishing very well in the Moraine Park area and above on the Big T and in Glacier Creek as well. Waters are open and the snow has melted. Lots of BWOs are hatching on lower stretches of the T, while midges and little brown stones rule in the Park stretches. The water is starting to rise as the snow melts and we'll soon be in the full blown runoff. Check the fishing reports on our website, or give us a call about the most recent reports.
Speaking of runoff, we've heard a lot of moaning and groaning recently about the coming high water, but we tend to forget that fishing can be very good during times of high stream flows. The higher water tends to push fish into the slower currents near the banks and behind obvious protective structure, so finding and catching them can actually be easier during the runoff. If you don't like fishing high water, especially if it gets dangerously high, an alternative is to do a little lake fishing. The high mountain lakes are still mostly under ice, but there are lots of local city park lakes like Golden Ponds, state park waters like St Vrain State Park, and county parks like Pella Crossing to explore. Waters like this all hold fish worth catching, including bluegill, bass, catfish, crappie, trout, wipers and the mighty carp.
Sometimes we forget the joy of catching a scrappy little bluegill on light tackle. Take your kids out to the lake or stream and remember what it was like to go fishing with your dad or mom when you were their age. It was fun, wasn't it? And you still remember it today, 20 or even 50 years later, don't you? Help your kids make some memories of their own by taking them fishing.
We purposely delayed writing this month's newsletter until after the St Vrain Anglers Trout Unlimited auction on May 2. We hope you were there to enjoy the great gear and trip offerings, the excellent food and the toe-tappin' bluegrass music. We haven't seen the final figures, but this had to have been the most successful SVATU auction ever. Hats off to Mark Feigal and his Auction Committee members for a first class fundraiser. We here at the Laughing Grizzly are proud to say that we sold 49 of our 50 raffle tickets for the Winston "Tom Morgan Favorite" rod, and we'll be presenting SVATU with a check for $925 for their kids programs. Thanks to verybody who purchased a ticket, and congratulations to Gene Shimel, the winner of the raffle, and proud owner of a new Winston Rod.
Gear Checkup: Here's a checklist of things to consider as you get ready for this year's fishing:
- Rod: Make sure ferrules and guides are clean and smooth. Wipe down the rod with a damp cloth; remove any dirt or other crud. If you detect any damage, seek out professional repairs (we can do some repairs here at the shop), or, if the rod has a guarantee, return it to the manufacturer for repairs; we'll be glad to arrange shipping for you.
- Reel: Take off the spool. Thoroughly clean the innards of the reel and spool with alcohol. Most modern reels need little or no lubrication; refer to your reel's documentation for directions. If you reel is damaged, get it fixed (again, we can do some repairs) or return it to the manufacturer for repairs.
- Line: Remove the line from the reel, inspecting it carefully as you go. The most common forms of damage are splits or cracks, fine, dirt-retaining surface cracks and abrasions, or a tip that will no longer float. Replace it if it's damaged. If the line is in good condition, wash it in warm soapy water, rinse it well, and dry it. Applying a quality line dressing like Umpqua's Glide, Loon's Line Speed or Rio's Agent X can help extend the life of your line. During the season, clean and dress your line frequently. While you're checking your line, check the backing as well; even dacron backing can weaken if it remains wet for any length of time.
- Leader and Tippet: Monofilament ages, becomes brittle and loses breaking strength. If your leader and tippet material are more than two years old, replace them. Consider using fluoro tippet- we've been using it a lot more, and have learned to appreciate its quick sinking and low visibility characteristics. Whether you use regular or fluoro leader and tippet, always carry spares.
- Flies and Fly Boxes: Sort through your flies. Put them in some kind of order so you can find what you need quickly. Throw away the ratty flies, put aside the ones you never use, and make room for flies you do fish or want to use. Tie up more flies or stop at the shop for the new flies and tying supplies you need. The C+F system boxes are a great way to organize your flies. You can use the individual panels to organize your flies by destination or season, and snap them into the clip-in cases based on where you're headed.
- Vest: Reorganize your vest. Do you need new nippers, fly threader, hemostats? Now's the time to upgrade or replace your tools. In addition to leader and tippet, what about split shot, strike indicators, floatant, Dry Shake? Clip a Wonder Dry Fly Patch to your vest to dry sunken flies before reconditioning them with Dry Shake. Add some Mojo Mud and Biostrike to your arsenal.
- Boots and Waders: Turn your waders inside out and hang them over the fence to air them out and freshen them up. Then, look for holes and abrasions and fix them with Aqua Seal or Loon's UV Wader Repair. You can find pinholes by rubbing the area on the inside with alcohol; quickly turn them right side out again, and the pinholes will show up as dark spots on the outside of the waders. Seal them inside and out with Aquaseal or UV Wader Repair. If your boots have replaceable studs, now is the time to replace worn ones.
- Miscellaneous: Don't forget a cap, polarized sunglasses, Hat Eyes or other magnifiers.
Spending a little time now on maintenance and organization will make for a more enjoyable fishing season.
What's New in the Shop
Cigars
Yeah, we know smoking isn't good for you, but a good cigar seems to go with fly fishing like whipped cream on strawberry shortcake. An occasional stogie can work wonders: the smoke seems to deter the skeeters and gnats that want to chew on us, while simultaneously causing mayflies, stoneflies and caddis to hatch, and the fish to eat them. We've got two excellent types, a Havana Blend at $5.00, and a Rosa Cuba at $6.00. Try one sometime.
Quick Seine
This nifty little fine mesh seine fits over your net and allows you to see what bugs are floating down the river. You'd be surprised what you might miss if you are only using your eyes to check out the hatches. A bargain at $19.95.
Stone Creek Fly Boxes
This isn't a new item- just a terrific one. We sell more of these floating foam boxes than any other box we carry. They come in three sizes, are covered in a bright green nylon material, have a magnetic closure and are very affordable, ranging from $11.95-$17.95. Besides, they have a cool leather patch on top, so they look like they cost a lot more. Fool your friends with the box; fool the fish with what's inside.
Tin Shot
You may not be aware that lead shot is illegal in Rocky Mountain National Park. We carry Dinsmore tin shot assortments and Boss Tin shot in individual sizes. The Dinsmore shot are egg shaped, and have a soft green coating that won't weaken your leader, and they have a thumbnail notch for easy removal- if you're careful, you can put them back in the box for reuse. We are advocates of tin vs lead for all of our fishing, and we recommend you join us in going green.
Redington Laughing Grizzly Logo Fishing Shirts
As we said in a recent newsletter, these are really nice shirts. They come out of the dryer (low heat) looking like they were ironed. They look great with with the Laughing Grizzly logo, and they're very affordable at $44.95.
Fisherman Eyewear
You gotta wear polarized sunglasses to see fish and for eye protection from harmful UV rays and errant flies. Fisherman Eyewear makes a quality pair of glasses starting at $14.99. These are great as an extra pair when your good glasses are damaged, or as your primary pair if you're on a budget. Buy a spare pair for your vest or gear bag.
Waders and Boots
We still have a few pairs of last year's Simms wader and boot models at very special closeout process. We also have a full selection of sizes in both Simms and Redington waders and boots. Stop in and try some on.
That's it for this month. See you in the shop or on the water.
The Laughing Grizzly Staff