Tyin' Flies and Takin' Names

     Soon after learning the basics of fly casting, and seeing the pride in others when a fly they tied works on the river or lake, I decided to take up fly tying.  But where to start?

A Fly Fishing Primer

     Learning how to fly-cast from a book was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  Joseph Petralia’s Flyfishing: First Cast to First Fish! did the job for me.  A long time ago I had my first fly-fishing experience.  A friend invited me along on a trip to one of the best places in the Midwest to catch big trout.

10 Things I Am Thankful For



Ute Lake, NM.  Killer strike, the smallie
watched the Repo Man fly through the
air and hit it as it landed 6 inches from
the bank!


A fisherman’s list of reasons to be thankful this year.

10. I am thankful for the sudden strike.  The one that, when the catch is done and the big one is released, leaves me trembling and wanting more.  And that, even after all these years, I still feel this way each and every time it happens.

Winter Bass Fishing



Capped with ice, or clear water,
winter bass hunker down.



Like much of the U.S. of A., bass fishing in Colorado during the winter comes almost to a standstill, like the bass do, as well.  But that doesn't mean you can not catch bass during the wintertime.  Here are a few techniques to catch lethargic lunkers lurking down deep.

Winter Bass Fishing

Here in Colorado, just like other parts of the U.S. of A., bass fishing gets really tough over the winter.  The bite shuts down sometime after early to mid-November and doesn't start to pick up again until early March.  But that doesn't mean you can't catch bass over the winter.  You just have to adjust your fishing techniques.

Monster Fishing

We all have monsters that we remember, the ones that got away, but how about the times fishing when we truly got scared?  My two most memorable lake monsters came from the same place.

DOW/Parks Merger Needs Your Voice.

This is the opportunity and the time for sportsmen to have a voice in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife merger.  Don’t wait until decisions have already been made before you let your voice be heard!

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPW) have posted online a request for public input concerning the transition stages of the merger between the Colorado Department of Wildlife and Colorado State Parks.  Meeting dates, group reports, and public input results will be posted online.  Public input may be submitted in writing.