Back to the Blue- Finally Trout Season is Here

Well everyone, It is Trout Season again in Oklahoma. The guys who did the Trout Derby obviously know that. Wished I could been have been there, maybe next time.

Trout Season on the Blue for Merc is always exciting. Landing fish, new strategies and flies, hard fighting bows and most importantly....peace of mind and making new friends.

Well. I got a great start.

Charley from the Sulphur Springs Inn. What a gentlemen and everyone, if you do not take him up on his generous BRFF offer for any overnights, it is YOUR loss.

I have already posted this but want to share a couple of photo's from Charley's place. Such a neat place and a neat guy. Charley, cannot wait to hook some trout with you later this season.

My first trip to the Blue was spot on. Happened to have the right flies on, took the right advice( Wes) and scored big time. Everyone have a blast on the Blue this year and lets all try and contribute to the water issues that our dear river is going to have down the road.

I know I will.

Cheers and "Fish On"

Merc

Life IN the Fly Fishing Business

Well, it has been a while. Mixed in a couple of fishing trips: a road trip with my buds Spreadsheet and the TRT. Montana..yep the holy grail. By way of Colorado and Utah of course. 12 days 2200 miles. Great fish and a great time.

The subject of this blog is apparent in the title. Funny what live brings. Met a guide on the San Juan River 5 years ago. Name is Paul Freeman. Great guy, great guide and now a business partner. In June, Paul and I bought Aztec Anglers, a guide service on the San Juan River in NM where we met. Pretty cool, huh. Did not pay a fortune and we'll make our money back someday, but the fun we are having will hopefully be present in our customer's eyes and ears.

Especially the ears.

Paul and I want to express our sincere desire to make sure our clients have fun on the river we both love. The San Juan is a classic tailwater with great fishing. We want our clients to have as much fun on the Juan as Paul and I have had many times. I hope our enthusiam when you speak with us will be taken in earnest as we both love to talk about the San Juan. That is all I want to say about our philosophy and in my hopes that folks may check this blog, give us a call and come fish the Juan. We are doing business the right way.

Guides, where the rubber hits the road

The second trip I mentioned was recent. I went to the San Juan to meet our guides, lodging partners, friends and clients. What a blast. All of our guides are just super, both in rapport and results. Had the pleasure to fish with Brian and Chip and absolutely had a blast. Both great guys. Missed fishing with Aaron but that is because he was busy loading up our clients Steve and Bill from North Carolina with great top water and nymphing actions. Ants. Remember, trout LOVE Ants. This is not just marketing folks, it is the truth.

OK, enough business. Life IN the business. Enough said!

Cheers,

Merc

Texas Beauty

When the Lord blessed North Texas with an abundance of water, there is a little secret place that can really make a weekend morning. That would be the Paluxy River outside and through Glen Rose Texas. Abundant native Bluegill, Bream, Yellow Perch, Black and Native Spotted Bass and Gar can really make for some exciting top water action. Wooley Boogers drifted and stripped can also produce fun results.

It has been two years since I fished the Paluxy. Two years ago, we had heavy early spring rains and the river was blown out. Last year, we had virtually no rain from October until May and the river ran dry. This year I figured we had just the right amount of rain and the river would be nice and clear and boy it was.

Today was a blast starting early with boggers with little luck. Time to tie on Miss Prissy and the results were impressive. Hooked at least 25 Bluegill(see FFP photo) Perch and Bream. I mixed in about 4 or 5 spotted bass until I got the Splash and Tug I will remember.

A 16 inch 2 lb Spotted Bass made my day hammering the popper. Went to the reel quickly and the fight was on. My biggest bass to date on a fly rod and a morning I will remember. If you have a chance to hit this gem and can find the right holes, this is a river to embrace.

Cheers

Merc

Blue River OK... Final Act for 2008

Went to the Lady Blue Sunday for my final trip of 2008. Action was slow to say the least and it appears many of the nice fish in the C&R area are somewhere downstream due to the 4500cfs flows a week or so ago. I have had multiple 30 fish days there and only managed 3 trout and a perch. No tugs or misses, just no fish. I tried bugs, boogers and dry droppers but not many takers. Water was a dark almost murky color and I just think some of the fish ended up downstream out of the area. I left about 1pm and headed to 17. I knew that would bring some action and it did. I caught 5 there, 3 on soft hackles with a small split and indicator and a funny story on the final two. Cast my small rubber black indicator into the run. On two occasions I had trout take my indicator under water. WOW. So I tied on a size 10 black ant and caught both fish. Both came up and ate the ant within 3 casts. Pretty fun. No more takers until I tied on my hand tied booger and caught a 12" Black Bass in the same run with the trout. Not a bad day, just have been a little spoiled with my results in February.

Well, the Blue was really good to me this year. I learned alot, met some nice people there and will feverishly await November 1st when the trout are back in the river. Thanks for a great year Lady Blue!!

Cheers,

Merc

Pyramid Lingo... Gotta love fly fishing

Quote:

FG: 5wt, fishing an indicator rig! Approximately 4 ft to red copper john, then drop 2 ft to red or black chironomid. Both bead heads. When the wind was blowing you would cast and let the wind drift the rig. If no wind, cast out, and give it the emerger pop and hold on. Many were casting a 300 grain sink tip with a wolly bugger and a simi seal leech (purple) or a black or chartreuse beetle. I fished an indy rig about 95%. Takes were viscious!!


ROCK ON FG!!!

Cheers,

Merc

READ THIS BLOG...YOUR REWARD

This is a story of a friend. A very good friend. Those of you who chose to view this blog...it is your reward. Those of you who don't...your loss. I can only relate what I missed!!!!!

From the FG.

How often do we hear of lakes or rivers that have nothing but huge trout? "Dude, you will catch nothing under 18 inches, I swear!" Most often it is a load of crap. Well folks, I'm hear to tell you, Pyramid lake, outside of Reno, is one of those places! The place is freakin' huge and full of huge Lahontan Cuts! I spent 4 days up there and caught around 100 cuts and the smallest was just shy of 20". Huge pods of fish swam in front of my ladder many times a day. Now these fish are not for the faint of heart, they snap 2X tippet like butter and ruin reels for breakfast. I had a 6wt reel implode on me and I couldn't do anything but laugh! On several occasions I had a trout bust my 2X tippet, I even had one that busted 1X. Our last day on the lake, my buddy Tim and I had 9 doubles, and if my other buddy had not been back at the hotel sick as a dog, I am sure triples would have been had. At one point on day 3, our group had a quadruple on, and the stranger on each side were hooked up as well, what is that, a sextuple? We are already planning our '09 trip to include a larger group!!

Merc

New River....New Experience

Cold.....very cold. That is what I remember most about my first 3 hours on the Upper Colorado River between Kremmling and Parshall, Colorado. Like 15 degrees cold. Not just the tip guides froze up......all of them did. Any my reel, accidently got it wet. Ended up encased in ice. Wow, I was asking, what did I do to deserve this!!

Well what mother nature dishes out, she gives back to. I just had to be a little patient. I made the drive from Breckenridge to the river in about 1 hour 2o minutes and was on the river at 9.
A absolute beautiful sunrise over the mountains was probably worth the price of admission but hey...we all want to hook fish. Well not in the first three hours. The highlight of the the 9-noon time slot was not the couple of tugs and LDR's I had but an adult Bald Eagle that flew treetop level right over me. Have seen these beautiful creatures before in the wild, but not that close. Awesome and the nearly 75 mule deer that were either munching right next to the highway or were bed down there. Really neat stuff.

Now to the 12-3 pm slot. Money time. 15 to hand...all wild browns and all on dries. Lost at least a dozen more. The old standby sz 2o Griffiths Gnat was on fire along with a sz 26....yes 26 Brooks Sprout Midge in Gray was on as well. All in all a great day fishing but the coldest one yet for Merc on the water.

Like I said....worth the price of admission. Better than a $ 86.00 lift ticket today to hurry up and wait. No more lift lines for Merc this trip. Taking my bride to breakfast, goofing off and donning the waders pm tomorrow on the Blue.

Merc

Blogging about the Blue....the Colorado Blue

Well, it is still snowing in Breckenridge, CO. My man Spreadsheet and I hit the Blue River below Green Mtn. Res. today. Beautiful place. Hooked a fish on the 5th drift and Billy Boy and I were on our way. I ended up like the old TRT and gave that beautiful bow the LDR. At least I saluted. We were bound to find plentiful fish, but was not to be. That was the only tug of the day but I was not working.

Looking at going to the Upper Colorado either today or Sunday. A new destination in God's Country. Looks like fresh pow for skiing on Monday and Tuesday.

Cheers.

Flyfishpimp.com Blog Set Up

Hey everyone. This FFP Blog is now set up. Join in with stories and pic.

Thanks.

Merc