AZ_Trout

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This has been a very enjoyable thread, and it’s interesting how many of us have similar beginnings and experiences. Fiberglass - Diawa, Eagle Claw, or Shakespears as the first rods, and progressing on to the next stage of this addiction—tying your flies. I have been fly fishing for over 35 years, starting in my early twenties. I’d describe the first 5 years as learning with very little knowledge and minimal success. Back then we didn’t have the internet, no YouTube, or DVDs to help in our progress. Luckily we had local urban stocked lakes and the trout parks of MO. I remember a trip out to Colorado’s South Platte River, stopping into a fly shop to get a little local info and flies. They were having success on RS2s size 20…we got some, didn’t have a clue what they were or how we’d use them, since our leaders were larger than the eye on the hook. Growing up in St. Joe and then moving to Topeka after college I had spent my more productive learning at RRSP and Bennett Springs and our winter – spring local stockings My oldest son was lucky enough to grow up around fly fishing and started playing with a fly rod at an early age and thus had an accelerated curve. He could use a spinning rod well for a little kid so we did a winter season catch and release trip to RRSP when he was 8 years old. He did OK on his own with his spinning rod and a single hook rooster tail. Tim Homesley was fishing near him and had hooked a nice trout so he offered my son the fly rod to land the fish. After landing the trout and enjoying the fly rod, my son looks at me and says “This was way more fun than the spinning rods – I got to learn this”. By the summer season he was casting well and hooking fish. So a big thanks to Tim. And yes at Boy Scout Camp(Camp Jayhawk) he was always tearing up the bass and gills at the ponds. Twenty years ago we moved out here to Arizona, thinking trout fishing is over, but pleasantly discovering that some very good fly fishing only 3 hours from Tucson. And now I have a four year old grandson that is starting to play with the long rod. I just hope they have as much fun as I have had.

A topic of "Condos on Lake Tannycomo...posted by Lakefront condos....in the upper Taneycomo section...would logically seem to be about condos located somewhere on the upper portion of Taneycomo. If I was not interested in any condos or using a condo --I'd not open it...just like I've not opened the one about building an 8wt...I don't have the interest. But if i was coming to Taney --needed to rent a place..and wanted to fish the upper section of the lake...why would I not open this post? Makes sense to me. Under lodging I'd have to wade through lower lake, in town, maybe even past SDC listings.

Yep! They are so use to being taken care of--they can't look out for themselves. The others only think about themselves, there are no other people in their world!

Yeah the liberal thing was likely out of line --sorry. I had used it as - no need to take personal responsibility -- everyone else in the world will look out for you. In my experience liberal means taking care of everyone regardless of their ability to be self responsible. Make me (take my money) to take care of everyone else. Sorry if it was out of place. But didn't Missouri vote for the dead guy? thinking his wife would be an equal replacement?

Interesting question you posed. Most people would think that the walkers would look out as to where they are going and what is happening around them. Unfortunately that is not always the reality. I fish a community pond that gets winter trout stockings, when it's cold very few walkers are out, most pay attention. As it gets warmer more walkers and they are in "their world". I've come to the conclusion it depends on who the walking behind person is: if they are responsible they'll pay attention, if they live in their world, think the world revolves around them, liberal and think everyone needs to take care of everyone else, then they think it's your issue not theirs. This park and the walking path have bicycles, skaters, joggers, kids playing even the occasional rattle snake, plenty for them to look out for. If they stepped on a snake would they blame the snake? They'd blame the park staff. And yes there may only be 5-8 fly fisherman at this park vs many more bait and spin casters, but you'd think eventually they realize what a fly caster is doing and watch out --wrong. I've had people stop behind me to watch. I tell them it's a public park and their are free to do what they want, but if they've noticed the fly and line is going back there and the odds of them getting hooked are great, they might want to move over here to my right to watch. Most have that ah ha moment and get it others stay there until I start casting again then they get it. At a trout park I'd say walker be ware, and in general I will try to pay attention to those walking I believe it's their responsibility first. Sometimes people just have to touch the stove to understand it's hot.

The guys at Cutthroat can help...if they want. I've had great service there and crap service there over a 3 year window. A couple of the guys can be kinda arrogant and snotty---look for someone else. The Blue in Breck can be good. Might be high with snow melt. A couple years back my son got a 20+ rainbow on a size 22 thread midge tan. Water was a little high in July that year. Downstream at the mall in Silverthorne can be very technical fishing but big fish ---san juan worms, mysis shrip, small midges. A few near by lakes if rivers are still up. Or call Pat Dorsey at Blue Quill Anglers, he'll find somewhere for you.

Oh man you should have used a couple lines like: I like your feathers...want to see my fly? or Tickle my a@% with your feather? I'd end up in jail....but hey kinda funny, maybe.

You have a ton of options: Since you didn't set a time per se, summer in CO if late June can still find high water due to run off. With either Denver or Colo Spgs many options, From Colo Spgs: Deckers on the South Platte, Eleven Mile Canyon south on the South Platte, The Dream Stream section by Spinner Mnt Resv, the Arkansas up from Canon City toward Salida, or over by Buena Vista. From Denver: Deckers on the South Platte, The Blue River west in Summit Co. North to the Colorado River - Right time - Big Bugs Big Fish. I'd suggest a guide: Pat Dorsey out of Blue Quill Anglers http://www.bluequillangler.com/ Great guy --- worth the money. You could check out Boxwood http://www.boxwoodgulch.com/ Possible area for private waters without a guide ..http://www.southparktrout.com/ Check out Blue Quill for reports and river info. Good Luck

Here is a link to a previous discussion --- http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27247 I just fished my Echo Carbon 2wt this weekend and it handles fish great....fished my 3wt TFO 3 day before --great rod. Either good choices for the dollars

Forget the $100 limit...$150-175 better options. TFO -- good choice I have a 3wt like it Echo Carbon -- NICE rod --I have a 2wt love it. Redington CR another good choice

Currently I've over lined a 2wt, 3wt, and 4 wt all 1 size higher. I did this mainly for a little more weight to battle some wind. Right now I'm only fishing some local ponds stocked with winter trout, so the extra power lets me get a few more feet from the shore, and offsets the wind. It did make a nice improvement on the 4wt, a fast rod and now the 5wt softened it just a touch. I might not change this rod's current set up, but I will likely go back to the 2wt line for some small streams I fish, and I will put 3wt back on the 3wt rod.

Since I am a self admitted addict for trout fishing, and my preferred method is with the fly rod, here are some of the things that have worked. Currently I live in Tucson, AZ --yeah the desert, so you figure not much trout fishing. Except only 3 hours away I'm in the White Mnts at 7000 to 9000 ft with many lakes and nice streams, and in the winter months G&F stock local lakes with trout. I had lived in Topeka KS for 20 years and Lake Shawnee, a little lake over by Lawrence, and a lake at Ft Reilly were all stocked with trout. So to feed my addiction I spent too many hours chasing and playing with the trout in these locations. But what fun is an addiction if you can't enjoye it? As mentioned, wollyburgers, simi seal leaches, wet / nymph attractor patterns (size 10 gray - black - reddish patterns) oversize renegades that will sink(tied wet or soft hackle or weighted) -- you can tie a small pheasant tail #14 --#16 16 - 18 inches behind these patterns and then strip to find the right speed and depth. Under an indicator fish a nymph or 2 nymphs set up --- hares ear, pheasant tail - bead head or not, copper johns, princes, zebra midges, be flexible. One day they want black the next it has to be white--just keep trying different flies and presentations. They may want it still, or slightly twitched. I really like using small marabou jigs under and indicator. 1/64 1/80 1/100 oz jigs. If it is windy great - let mother nature help you jig is along- I've had fish take the jig as it sat just moving up and down with the waves. I've also had to jig the rig back to me in short strips and pauses, mini twitches and even fast retrieves. I like white, black, olive and black+ yellow, light brown.... again play with the right colors. But one of my most effective methods has been to rig 1/2 of a trout worm ---yes those scented rubber worms you see at the parks---under an indicator and slowly work it back to me. I KNOW THIS IS NOT FLY FISHING....I'M SURE PURISTS ARE GASPING FOR AIR RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN AGAIN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PUT AND TAKE STOCKED TROUT. I've been using this approach for 20+ years on these stocked fish...it works! You have to let the fish run with the worm for a second or two, this requires some trial and error -- so as not to get the worm swallowed, yet long enough to get most of the worm in the mouth. reason for using 1/2 or less of the worm. At first out her in AZ nobody had seen a trout worm ---- thanks to Berkley and the internet even the bait chuncker,s have been using trout worms under a bobber. If you get lucky enough to find the trout working along the surface or just under ---try soft hackle patterns, fished in the top foot or so of the lake. Good Luck

I can think of 3 cute stories --None as good as Leonard's... 1st - I had taken my little brother and one of his friends- both about 8 yrs old, to a local pay to fish lake. Somehow his friend found a way to hook my brother in the nose...now both are jumping around yelling..I'm yell at them and running off a string of cussing. I also had my girl friend's little 5 yr old brother too. Now I remember the cussing --so I explain --He can't every use those words. We get home --"How was the fishing?" "OK, Les got a hook in his nose and I learned a bunch of new words I can't say" Great 2nd This happened to some fiends on a Montana trip. 4 guys all cousins - 3 avid fly-fisherman, #4 a brother in law to one of the 3. Well the #4 finds a way to swallow a fly. How??? Why???? it was a small #18 --why it was in his mouth??? So off to the ER they go. They left the 2 brother in laws at the hospital and the other 2 went back to the river --why ruin a trip ..."call or get a ride back to the river when you all are done." "You leaving us here?" "Yeah --he's your brother in law" 3rd - Me I'm a right handed caster, I was working a point at this lake --I had trees behind me to the right --the fish I wanted were rising to my right --so I'm trying to throw line over my left shoulder with my right arm.(At this time I had never thought to turn my back to the lake and cast towards the land side of the lake and let my back cast fall on the water).... Needless to say casting over my left side didn't work -- I stuck my self in the left check. Lucky or not it was the exposed check. It was about time to finish for the day so I cut off the fly- drove home - and removed my piercing with the help of the mirror and a set of kellys.