Colorado Tigers

Well we have a new member to the family.  Greysen is a young man who has got the tiger bug.  I will let Greysen tell the story.

This 42 inch 22 pound Tiger Muskie was taken  on a size 2  Whitlocks near nuff crayfish. On my walks home from school I often find myself scanning the water usually for trout or grass carp, but on this balmy summer day  I encountered this beast sunning in the shallows off of a steep embankment of about 15 or 20 feet. I figured if I was going to have a shot, it was now. After hastily assembling my rod, I double hauled the farthest cast I could muster and miraculously I put it about 6 feet offshore of her, and about 2 feet in front of her nose. I gave a couple quick strips to get the fly into her vision. She willingly sped forward, and after seeing her tail flare up, I knew I was in for the ride of my life. After a quick pop, she hit it, I set the hook and she took off. I slid down the embankment, struggling to keep the line taut and waded out to my chest to keep as little distance between the fish and myself. The fight was surprisingly brief, about 20 minutes, but she pulled hard and when I got her close the first few times she tail walked and got me soaking wet. Wet and weary, I finally managed to drag my coup de grace into my arms. The intense shimmering colors, and those big yellow eyes are rivaled by nothing. After trying to revive her for about 15 minutes I knew she just didn't have the strength to go back. I dragged her back to our family restaurant, Willow Creek, wrapped her up and called a taxidermist. I'll see that fish again any day now, and I'll have a great story to tell anyone who sees her hanging above the bar.



It is refreshing to see our youth getting into fly fishing.  Especially when it requires such patience.   Great job Greysen!!

El Tigre!!

Well I just got back from Utah and my Tiger Muskie fishing trip, 4 days of solid Tiger fishing.  I got SKUNKED, and yet it was a blast.  I finally got my Mitzi Skiff from Robin Spicer @ Western Skinny Water.  Fishing from these boats is awesome.  If any of this strikes your fancy call me and I will put you in touch with Robin.  (303-567-1500).  My boat was not skunked on the trip, Robin and Greg each got 2 Tigers in a day.  Those are great days!!!  The spot and stalk for the tigers is so addicting!  More to come about the boats and the fishing on them.  Enjoy the pics.

Big Bugs!!!

  When I was hooked on fly fishing years ago a friend told me of the salmon fly hatch in the black canyon and I was worked up over this .  For 6 months I planned my arrival of this hatch and in mid june me and my wife and pups headed for the black canyon to the chukker trail.  It was a rough ride in, but the tocoma got us there and then we went deep down the trail to the mighty river.  I was stoked to see some salmon flies but as time passed was so sad to find it was the end of the hatch with no luck catching any of those mighty fish I could see, thinking they were full.  Now I realize it was problably my skill  and they were not as dumb as I wish they were.    Many years later I have discovered this beauty happens so much closer to home.  4 out of five years I have hit the hatch on the Colorado,missing the last due to back surgery.  It has been a spiritual experience that almost makes me tear up some days when im in the presence of them flying all over the place you could mistaken them for birds in the sky at times.  Runoff useally is extreme and makes you work your ass off to get to this place but its well worth it and the hits from the browns can scare you so fast from the choclate runoff water.  This year with extreme low waters me and J rod headed in early expecting it to come early this year.  We were dead on as we got to our set up spot and to see the big oll flys on rocks.  It was Sunday and no one aroud and we were stoked to be alone with thease  amazing bugs.  We fished our way up and had alot hit the massive dry flys and more hit pats rubber lege trailing 3 ft under.  Back to the grind for a week knowing where I would be the next week and as my last night of work ended it was on.  Home to prepare my gear and as the sun rose on my birthday,me the wife and dogs headed up to the Colorado and 4x4 the oll tacoma down to the amazing camping spot right on the river.  There were heavy rains the day before and my good friend Chris was already on the river.  I crossed the river,allways wanted to but there was no chance in hell.  The 495 cfs flows made it possible and walked up quite a ways before setting up.  Amazed at how many people I saw due to reports and acsessability on the river with low flows but most on the other side I set my rig up. 2nd cast a big ass white fish hammered my pats and put up a great fight and it was on,I thought.  Saw Chris a ways up and the fishing slowed and the big oll flys did not seem to be around.  Fished quite a ways up and caught some  browns but seemed like the hatch had never happend.  Had a nice campfire that night with the fam and thought about packin out and hitting the blue on the way out.  Awoke and it was beutifully sunny and warm and contimplated my day.  Said screw it,Ill head up and see how it is. Crossed the river again and headed up river to the first canyon wall to have to take a few steps back and watch as the big oll salmon flys were taken flight like mad. It was a one of those moments in life you feel like a lucky chosen one to see something so amazing  that I choked on tears for a moment and watched the amazing  hatch.  After a bit I went back to fishing with my large dry to pats dropper and the water wat quite clear for this part of river,Slow but was watching them come up and smash from time to time. They seemed to like to come smash my dry and hit the pats.  After a mile and a half up stream I hit the jackpot!  First cast into a long run smash and it went on for a while and I was blown away to catch so many in the same spot.  Saw the wife and pups hikeing upn the other side then bam, had a big meat stick on and he ran down the rapids as I held my rod high slipping and stumbleing over the river run round rocks to chase him.  Finally got him to net amazed he did not break me off, thanks to 3X tippet and some luck.  Got a shot of him and sent him on his way.  Not 10 mins later and a few browns later bam!  Another big brown went running down river thru the rapids,behind rocks and took my ass slipping and slideing  till I got to the grass bank with him down to my backing with rod held high and tight inj the air to run about 100ft to the first  eddy and still had to work his ass in.  Shakeing as I neted him and pulled out my pnone to snap a shot as he slid out of my hand.  Oh well.  Those were the 2 best river fights ive ever had that I got to net.  Hit a few more browns in that spot and then the switch turned off.  That was one hour of my life I will never forget.  I made the long walk out with a sense of thankfulness to the man above that gave me the chance to have this day.  If youve never been in a salmon fly hatch I hope you get to experience it one day.  As for the fishing, Dont get your hopes up on that.  Remember you got to still be smarter then the fish.  If your lucky,they might just be plain oll crazy for an hour.

Sweet Tee

We at Clear Creek Outdoors want to welcome Kind Design to our family.  Take a gander at these tees.  Wow, I think he hit a grand slam with this one.

They run $24.  They are such a comfortable tee!
You can get them here  http://www.clearcreekflyfishing.com/outdoor-shop/T-Shirts/Kind-Design-Colorado-Fly-Tee-Black.html

The Pan

The Frying Pan:  For years I’ve heard and read about it but never
made my way to it.  The fishing has always sounded good but the crowds
made it sound not so good.  This last week the weather looked horrible
so last minute I figured it would be a good time to check out the
fabled Pan.  With snow falling Monday I half-*ss packed my truck with
food, clothes and already wet fire wood and went on my way.  Grabbed
some 5X leader at Clear Creek Outdoors and hit the rainy/snowy highway
headed west.
I arrived a few hours later in a foreign place.  Crap weather with
fishermen sitting in running vehicles keeping warm.  I thought it was
great that their expensive waterproof gear was not working as I put on
my waders and 7 year-old snowboard coat and went on my way! I spent a
while walking and checking it all out and ended up at a deep run in
front of the parking lot. I was throwing a deep weighted setup of
various midges trailing a mysis shrimp and caught a few nice fish on
WD-40s … then I caught a big ole trout on the mysis. It took about 15
minutes, about 25 yards, a few missed nets as he got close in … and
then took off again! Finally success! On 6X tippet and I had a Frying
Pan Pig Cutthroat. I was in pure bliss. Over the course of the evening
I caught some more nice trout and broke off 2 more pigs but I was OK
with that.
Before dark I drove up the dirt road to find a place to camp for the
night and ended up at a cool sandstone wall with a fire pit, and spent
a while working with my wet wood to get it going. Enjoyed the night
thinking of that hoss of a trout  with some beers and a warm fire.
Slept in the back of the Tacoma and awoke to sun and it starting to
warm some. Went back to the same run and I took some pics of the dam
on the way down. Fished same set up and hooked some fish of fair size.
Then trucks started piling in and I quickly realized why I have never
been here.  Tuesday crowds? Jags that walk right up to the pod of fish
you are fishing upstream to and stand 5 ft in front of them? I took a
few pics of them jags in disbelief. Went back to my truck and went a
half mile down stream and had a blast catching 8 to 18 inch trout in
pocket water before I headed home.
I think I got lucky on this trip to have then place to myself for a
while but saw what it is normally like with guys who think its OK to
wish within casting range which is why I seldom fish these famous
spots. That Frying Pan Pig will hold me for quite awhile as I'm much
more attracted to the serenity that other Colorado waters have to
offer.

Thanks Again Jon!!!

Love Hate?

Here is another story from Jon.

We all have love hate with some waters and Antero is one of mine. I've spent some long, hard, cold days on this water. This year my good friend called me and said 20 ft of ice was off in one spot and the fish were going crazy. Ice off was ridiculously early.4 people fell thru the ice while ice fishing that day. 2 days later it was on and we were there hammering them but the fights were weak and ice was moving off quickly. Within a week the ice was gone off the lake and the fishing was great.  A week later the fish were still hitting and fighting harder and this is why I love this place. On week 3 I fished the Blue on the way over so I got there late and the fishing was slow the night I arrived. I enjoyed the place to myself as the weather calmed and had a fire that night on the lake in one of the fire pits,slept in the back of my truck and awoke at 400 am with it cold as shiznit. Got out when the sun had warmed things up a bit,had my coffee,cold as the night before in my thermos and went at it again. Nothing...Well I was in no mood for this after a few hours so headed back towards home and hit the Blue again and had a ridiculous few hours there. I hear its still slow at Antero .Hmmm.Ill be back soon.

Thanks Jon!!

Get some before run-off!!

The Creek has been fishing quite well lately.  I have been doing my usual and swining soft hackles with my 2wt.  I was using a size 12 Chartreuse and Partridge.  I landed a 12 inch rainbow that really tested my 2wt.  Enjoy!!