Flyfishpimp

PM Up North

2012-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie in the C&R for a PM trip. I was supposed to mix in another trip the following day but I have been under the weather and we'll get to that some other time. We had a perfect afternoon to fish and usually quitting fishing by 4pm to drive back to Texas, it is amazing what I am missing by that move. It sure is great to be able to fish this river to dusk. The last 2 hours are splendid, with long shadows, many tugs and wildlife on the move.

Things started a little slow on the day but with the sun and mid 50's temps but there were plenty of bugs on the water. Midges, small baetis, even stillwater calliebatis were out, along with gnats and some small bugs really hard to name.

The fish were on the small stuff early and I mean size 20 small. For the first time this year I really felt that the smaller size was the ticket. The fish were on the emergers and as well all know, that is a tough depth for success. With the clearer water, I was on 5X fluro and I really think that helped too. Here was a nice one from mid-afternoon.

As the day progressed the river takes on a new glow. Long casting shadows really enhance the normal beauty of this place. At dusk, as Charlie were packing out, a huge Barn Owl flew across the river from us and observed from a safe distance. Just the extra hint of darkness did not allow me a pic of this great bird, but I will not soon forget it as he checked our every move. Really pretty place as the sun goes down.

At last light I decided to go back big and the fish responded to this offering. The Spanker put the hurt on them as this was a nice broad shouldered bow that could not resist.

Those of you who take part in our winter passion from Texas must take advantage a couple of times a year to fish the Blue at dusk. A great dinner and night was had in Sulphur and for those of you looking for an overnight place to stay, please consider Charlie's Sulphur Springs Inn. A great place to be and a great place to breathe, especially with good friends.

Cheers and good fishing everyone,

Merc

Fishing with Friends

2012-01-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

Folks I have been remiss in posting over the last week or two. The Blue River has allowed me many moments of solitude over the last few years. I really love the area and its beauty. It is also afforded me new friends. As a matter of fact, these new friends really should be classified now as " old friends".

Barry and Charlie now fit this classification. We do not get many chances for all 3 of us to fish together but over that last two weeks or so, we have had the chance to fish together twice.

The first trip was a trip to discuss the One Fly Tourney and hit the South Wilderness and this last week we explored the C&R. I will say that we all have had more productive days in terms of numbers of fish caught, but to spend time on the river with these guys is just a pleasure. We all enjoyed the fellowship and yucking it up in between tugs. I forgot my camera this last week but the week before I was able to catch my " old " friends in action.

Enjoy !!

Cheers,

Merc

Happy and Sad

2011-11-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

Friday was my initial trip to the Blue River in OK. Boy was I glad to hop on the bike for the ride into the C&R. Excited enough to forget my rod tube as I turned the bike around to go back to the truck and get it. As I approached the water a new trout season on the Blue was before me. Man what a sight to be back and I could not wait to get a line wet. Many fish would find my net on the day and I snapped a photo of the first one taken with a Jig.

As you can tell by the pic, the water was murky and stained. Maybe a foot of visibility but that did not stop the fish from eating my many offerings on the day. I found fish in the many holes that I have grown accustomed to and I found that gratifying. What else I found, was honestly, kind of sad.

The drought has taken its toll on our beloved river and I stopped fishing for a moment and prayed for rain. The river could sure use a good flush and restore the flow to the falls. It would also create so many other areas to find fish. As I explored the river, I found a few fish out of the few deep holes but not many. I snapped a couple of pics of the river levels, hoping by season's end, we get the rain to fill up the river.

I also found another hungry friend left over from the warmer season. It was a nice tug and he sure was pretty.

It sure was nice to back on the Blue. Like the title of this post, I sure was happy to fish again, but I sure was sad to see the state of the Blue. Lets all hope for rain. I would love to have to sacrifice a few days fishing for the rain our Lady Blue needs.

Cheers,

Merc

Fall on the Juan

2011-11-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Another great trip with friends and strong San Juan fish. Browns are on the move and the fall colors were off the charts. I will let the pictures do the talking. Lookout Oklahoma trout, your are next on the radar.

Cheers Everyone and Good Fishing,

Merc

Been a While

2011-10-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well folks it has been a while since my last post. Living here in Texas and being a coldwater fisherman, summertime turns to work and golf and fishing takes a back seat. Well kinda. I had the blessing to have an invite to go on my first trip to Alaska this summer and I will be back soon. Like next year. What a place and as I have told many, the ecosystem up there is what resonates with me. Just wonderful. If you have not done it, do it. Pay the man, it will be money well spent. Here are some highlights.

Fabulous place and we'll put a wrap on that. It's about 1 week to the first fall San Juan trip and trout season in Oklahoma is starting November 1, so I will not be a stranger. Look forward to seeing friends on the river and finding friends in the river.

Cheers,

Merc

1 Weight Heaven

2011-04-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Got to Rush Creek this am for about 2 hours of fishing before yardwork and the Masters. First cast and this little bluegill blew up the Miss Prissy. What a fun rod to fish. The 6'9" TFO Finesse.

I have seen and caught some good bass in the creek and have spent some time sight casting to them over the last month. I was stripping blind in a nice hole when all of a sudden there was the Toilet Bowl Flush !

What a fun morning with about 30 to hand in 2 hours. Still more creek to explore next time.

Cheers and good fishing everyone !

Merc

LMRF One Fly

2011-03-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

The last couple of years I have gone up to the Lower Mountain Fork Foundation One Fly Fundraiser. It is a fun event that raises money to put to river projects and other river enhancements. It is also a chance to get together with some darn good friends and I always try to make a few more every year.

This year was no different as I got together with Eric Jackson and David Dillow on Friday night after fishing. David is kind enough to offer up his cabin to Eric and I so the least I could do was burn some steaks for Nic, David's wife and the boys. Eric brings the Scotch and all be darned if I did not come home with it !

Friday fishing was good as I got there in the PM and met David and Bree ( the cool fishing dog ) for some Oklahoma trout. We explored the Evening Hole as most of the crowd had not shown up yet and the trout were cooperative on Soft Hackles, Midges and Pheasant Tails.

Saturday was a early wake up call for the One Fly. We hit registration for the fly of choice. This year was a tough one as we were given a size 16 Parachute Adams Dry Fly. Oh yeah, it was sunny and the fish were NOT looking up. I realized right away we were going to have to sink this bad boy and fish it sub-surface. It did not take long on the 4th drift to hook a 17" bow in Lost Creek. I have never spent much time on the Creek and it has never been that good to me, but all my fish in the tourney came from the creek. Very surprising to say the least. The pic below is not a great pic to say the least, but this male was a really cool looking fish. You'll have to take my word for it.

Everyone had a good time at the One Fly and lots of money was raised for the river. Many thanks to the ODWC, LMFR Foundation Directors and Menbers who participated in the event. One thing I want to add. The Department has done a wonderful job with the redo on Spillway Creek. The habitat there looks great. If we only had some regs on that stretch of the Fork. Fished it PM Saturday and when the fish are able to stay in the river instead of being harvested left and right, it fishes great. The work there is wonderful and should be mentioned.

Cheers everyone and good fishing,

Merc

PM on the Paluxy

2011-02-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

With the Trout Derby this weekend at the Blue and my aversion to crowds when fishing, I opted for a little Friday afternoon fishing down on the Paluxy River. One of the hidden gems of Texas rivers, the Paluxy holds numerous species of fish. Black and Spotted Bass, Perch, Pumkinseeds, Bream, Gar, Catfish and Carp are all occupants of this pretty piece of water.

My agenda for the day was to scout for some Carp in the waters an hour and half from my house. As I parked in the new and very nice Glen Rose Park, I was excited with my five weight in hand to see if I could chase some "freshwater bonefish". As I eased to the water what I found was an aquarium of shallow water Perch and Bass. The Bass were picky but the Perch and Pumkinseeds proceeded to hammer the Miss Prissy. Over and over again. Alot of fun, unless you are holding a five weight expecting a fight with a Carp, but tugs nonetheless. I did have get a couple of small bass to cooperate like the one below.

I eased down the road to find some shade because it was down right hot. About 82-85 degrees and no wind, I was looking to keep the temps feeling springlike. Headed to a piece of secret water, got a couple more perch to hand and found a hole I had not discovered before. This moss hideout held no less than six 2-3 lb Bass. Been a while since I have been this frustrated as time and time again one of those picky Bass would swim up the the bug, look it in the eye, and never eat.

What a nice afternoon to spend some time on a pretty river. The big Bass did not cooperate and I failed in my mission to find some carp water, but I really enjoyed the time getting a little warmwater fishing in.

The hot day finally cooled as I eased home with Coors Banquet.

Thanks Mr and Mrs Perch.

You made the day a blast.

Good Fishing Everyone and Cheers,

Merc

A Pristine River

2011-02-12T12:21:00.000-08:00

Leave it to old man winter to make you feel like you're going back in time. This is how I felt yesterday riding into the C&R. I have never seen the river so beautiful. Yes, she is still a little low, but with the snow on the banks and animal tracks everywhere and none of a human, I felt like this was a river that never had been fished.

With the snow and ice over the last two weeks, the middle section of the C&R showed no evidence of human history. I thought of Matt Gamble as I have never seen so many ducks. Multiple species just sitting there in a couple of my fishing holes as if they had never seen a person. They would always be around after I jumped them, flying overhead and making soft landings all day long.

It seemed as if the fish took some time off too as fishing was tough. The water was cold as I made a smart move wearing base layer and fleece under my waders. Lack of tugs did not worry me, as this was a blue bird winter day. Just before lunch, I had just landed the first five fish of the day. Some in the channel pocket water and a couple in the deeper water down from the falls. Something just told me the fish were sluggish, so I took a water temp. 38 degrees. Yes 38 degrees. That my friends is cold as the San Juan in the winter has never been below 42 on my thermometer. As I put up the rod for a little cold fried chicken by the river, I had five fish to hand courtesy of the jig.

The sun sure felt great on the bank and I saw a spin caster catch and release a fish. Until then I had the Blue to myself. I then saw a couple more gentlemen head to the upper section and not another soul the rest of the day. The day heated up as I finally found the bugs the fish wanted. The Prince Nymph, Zebra Midge and some Baetis nymphs were the ticket as I quit counting around 25. At long last the tugs were plentiful and made the cold water bearable. It was also nice to see some fish back in a couple of my favorite spots for the first time this year.

The good news is I thought the river was up a bit. It sure looked like it. The water is still low, but it seems old man winter has helped a bit. Boy what a couple of inches of rain would do over the next couple of weeks. The delayed harvest is around the corner so get out there and enjoy this place. What a great day it was to be alive.

Good fishing everyone !

Cheers,

Merc

Blue and Numb

2011-01-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

Met my buds Ryan Yarberry and Scott Spradling up at the Blue on Friday. Man was it cold. 17 degrees as we hit the parking lot at the Corrals. Hit the C&R in the am and the action was okay. Couple of fish early and the first fish of the year at the upper falls as Ryan and hit the foam line. Tugs and fun to wrap our visit up North.

Hit Scotty's for a great burger at lunch and then hit the South. Just too damn cold all day to take pics but did manage a few. The jig was the ticket in the South as these were the only pics of the day.

And some nice tail

Always good to be not working and until my next visit to the Blue, I hope there is more Blue and less Numb.

Cheers and good fishing,

Merc

Where Have I Been ! It's 2011

2011-01-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone. I am a winter trout creature. Jobs, Heat, College Football. A lot of things get in the way of fishing

Its time to get back to the action

Good to be back.

Winter Trout in Oklahoma

Back soon with more.

Good fishing Everyone and Cheers,

Merc

Big Hole, Maddie and the Green

2010-07-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Well folks I am blessed. I do a trip with 12-16 guys every June to Montana. Great friends, guides and fishing. This is the 3rd year for me and probably the best. We mixed in the Green below Flaming Gorge this year for a 8 day fishing orgy in the West.

This always makes for a nice little reprieve as the Texas summer shows her mettle. The Big Hole flow was up and weather in the upper 60's, perfect summer God's Country weather.

Here are a couple of pics from the Big Hole inhabitants.

It was then on to Ennis, a great little fly fishing town on the banks of the Madison. Great weather, views of the Madison Range and fishing on this famous river, " The 40 Mile Riffle". Stone fly nymphs, streamers and big princes ruled these waters. We are just going to miss the salmon and stone fly hatches that are soon to come.

Check out this bug Chris Conner found under a rock at lunch !

Really great times with Jim Morrison, Chris Conner and Mike Stack as well as Chris Knott. Great guides and damn good friends.

Views were plentiful and here is a taste.

Last but not least the Green River below Flaming Gorge. The canyon is something that every fly fisher should take in. A great brown trout population with rainbows and cutbows. Lots of dry fly action and fish on the dropper. New guides who were great, but this same old river that produces 20-30 fish days.

Great times again with a great group of guys. Thanks to Al May, The Maxeys, Bidells, Sparkmans and Herrings. Father and son combos which was very cool. Brian Robertson, Bill Hardin, Mark Haney, Tim Taylor, Mike Jones and Wayne Nail as well.

Just a blast in the High Country.
Until 2011.

Cheers Everyone,

Merc

For link to the entire slide show of photos click below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/troutbum_merc/sets/72157624407959120/

Blue River C&R- Banner Year in Pictures

2010-03-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

Plentiful water this year !

The People

To Charley, Ryan, Barry, Matt Gamble, Eric, Byron and his buds and the others I met on the River. Wish I had more pics of all of you.

And of Course the Fish !!

A great year to celebrate friends and fishing!

Cheers Everyone,

Merc

The Fork at her Finest

2010-02-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

It was a well planned mid week escape. A plan for for the C&R at the Blue. A day trip that no one would notice. Got the phone at the river to do a little biz and a LOT of fishing. Funny how plans change.

Weather had did us in with a murky moody Blue. My buddy Eric and I needed a fix. Yes a mid week fix. No one twisted anybody's arm. We headed for the Lower Mountain Fork.

My arm felt fine. It was ready for casting. Boy did my arm get a workout from setting the hook..

Yes everyone, tugs were ever present and they were numerous. Here was a hungry one waiting for Eric's nymph.

We had found a nice run there in the Bluffs and the foam wing emerger I tied up was the ticket. Olive and Gray, did not matter. Pheasant Tail? Yes. Hare's Ear? Yes. Hit the foam lines or soft current and the indicator dived.

After a delish Junction Burger we hit the Spillway. Not as silly as the morning but still more fish caught. Eric and I had landed at least 40 with another dozen or so lost. One big " HEN " that I am sure Eric has had dreams about just averted the net. That one was sweet but the best thing about it, she is still in there. Just on the other side of the river.

Here is a pic of the Bluffs with Icicles. Very pretty. A cold day with HOT fishing. This was the FORK at her finest.

Cheers and good fishing everyone,

See ya at the One Fly,

Merc

Fishing with Charlie

2010-01-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

One of the beauty's of fly fishing is spending time outdoors with friends. The BRFF Group on Yahoo has been good to me as I have made several friends over the years that I enjoy fishing with. Charlie Wright from Sulphur is one of these guys who is really fun to fish with. Charlie and I spend a couple of days a year meeting on the river, usually up in the C&R area. We both love the place and the fact that the area requires a little work to get to makes it that much more special. That is the beauty of this section of the Blue. This past Tuesday afternoon, Charlie and I met to rip some lips on the Rainbows of the Blue. A blue bird day it was with sunshine, light breezes and tugs from the fish. Here is a great pic of Charlie getting his rig ready for battle.

Charlie had a good day on the river Tuesday but as we all found out, our time on this earth is precious and we all should learn to appreciate our time here. Charlie just wasn't right all day he later told me. We had a great time on the river and he was kind for giving me the BRFF discount to stay at his Inn in Sulphur. Those who want to do an overnight, must take Charlie's kind offer to stay at his place. We went to a great dinner at Roma Italia in Sulphur and we parted ways until coffee in the morning. As most of now know, Charlie had a mild heart attack after dinner that night. He is doing well and resting after being flown to OKC Heart Hospital Tuesday night. Thanks again Sheri for emailing me the next morning so I could share this with our forum members for thoughts and prayers. Good luck Charlie, get to feeling better and God Speed my friend.

I headed to the C&R Wednesday and the fishing was just off the charts. Fish were eating midge larvae early in the slack water with a red larvae I tie doing most of the damage. Around 11am, this hits stopped and I tied on a mayfly rig with a olive hare's ear with a soft hackle dropper picking up fish and gray foam wing emergers taking fish as well. Here is a beauty from one of the side channels in the C&R and a cool photo of the area.

All in all another great day and a half on the Blue. This trip was outstanding for fishing and friendshp. Lots of big fish this go round and another chance to fish with a good friend. The Good Lord blessed Charlie and I this week and thank goodness we will have a chance to fish again together hopefully soon. One last pic of a new friend from the water of the Blue as well. This piggy was a pleasure to find in my net.

Good fishing everyone and make sure to spend time with friends and family in the great outdoors.

Cheers,

Merc

San Juan Freeze

2010-01-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

I love winter fishing. As a matter of fact, the gear nowadays is so good that winter fishing is usually very pleasant and has become my favorite time of year to fish. You can hike for miles with no sweat and mosquitoes. This is when I tend to fish the most. Especially when you live in Texas summers.

Well this was cold. And this was not winter fishing. I found myself in Navajo Dam NM at the San Juan and it felt like Arctic fishing. Thank the Lord above that the first two days had no wind. This was clear sky Northern NM frigid nights. Like 6 degrees at 8:30 in the morning. Yuck.

Looks like my 8 hours fishing days just turned to 5. Keep the coffee going brother, I am staying in for another cup. My bud and guide friend Chip got to the cabin a little late on Sunday morning and I gave him grief but two hours later, I was kind of relieved. Cold out there on the boat. But the inhabitants of the San Juan don't care if it's cold. A leech, a larvae, and they will help warm you up.

This Juan trip was short and sweet and the leech was the go to rig. Leech to the red or in the PM a foam wing emerger and as always on the Juan, the right depth would be rewarding. The C&R area on Tuesday AM before my trip to ABQ and Texas would be more of the same along with my four friends.

Well everyone, Happy New Year for 2010. I ventured into my birthplace of Durango this week and all I can say is " Happiness is in your rear view mirror ". Looks like I have taken that to heart.

Cheers everyone and GOOD fishing !

Merc

High Noon Skunk Off

2009-12-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

You know the saying " Everything is just perfect". Well sometimes things are too perfect. I arrived at the Blue yesterday after watching a beautiful sunrise driving up from Texas. Compared to my last Blue visit in a downpour, I felt like I was due a " Bluebird" day on the river. Too perfect you say?? Yup, pulled in the lot north of 7 and I was the only one there. As a matter of fact, never saw another person in the C&R yesterday and I had the river to myself. Too perfect you say??

Ladies and Gents, the C&R has always been good to me. I have had 30 fish days and 10 fish days but I never have had a problem getting into fish upon my arrival. Did I mention something about too perfect. I digress. I road in on the Trout Cruiser looking for fun with the Rainbows in the Blue.

I found the area totally to myself and decided to hit my honey holes in the middle section before I explored the lower end for the first time this year. The only problem was I never had a strike. NOT ONE. Wow this was rare and I soon found myself talking to myself. And no answers seemed to work. I threw everything, and still nothing. I had figured with the abundance of water this year like no other previous year in the C&R, that the fish had decided to spread out and yes they have. The water is so damn clear, you almost see down to the bottom of some of the pools below the falls. Thinking outside of the box is what it is going to take this year folks to get the tugs you came for.

Here came 10:30 and 11:00 and then I glanced again at my watch from the lower area. 11:15 and no tugs. What in the world is happening up here I asked. Nothing in the lower so I decided to hit the upper section. I have never failed to hit fish there so up I went. I went to my favorite perch on the island below the falls where I showed Eric a week or so ago and still nothing. I was now perplexed and cussing. Okay, the fish have moved. I worked my way down river and the back up above the falls. Yup friends, the fish are ABOVE the falls too and the Red Copper John took the skunk off. My watch read 12:00 and hence the title, " High Noon Skunk Off". Thought about this title right then and went with it. Here is the hook jawed male that took the skunk off.

I am not that much into fish counts folks but the day ended up at 7 fish. All on red and blue copper johns, soft hackles in various colors and the olive booger. Good new all fish were of size with the largest about 18" and close to 4 lbs. Not one tug on the pheasant tail which has been the producer this year on my previous trips. Sightfishing is in on the Blue so do it while you can with this clear water. Had a take on this fish I spotted in one of the channels that I will not soon forget. See the fish, watch him eat and set the hook. NICE!!

I will wrap up this trip with a couple of cool pics from a fish who just HAMMERED the olive booger. Nothing like the tug on a streamer. Make sure you are using 4x folks up here when stripping boogers. Use 5X and you can kiss these fish goodbye.

Thanks for checking in everyone and have a great Holiday Season. Good fishing everyone and have fun out there.

Cheers,

Merc

A Day Late and Two Layers Short

2009-11-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

Ever had one of those fishing days where you should have never gotten out of bed. Late to bed, too much to drink the night before and you had all the gear you needed in your truck....but did not pack it. And oh yeah " The damn camera is in the back seat along with your clothes".

Well the title of the post says it all.

Meeting my bud Eric Jackson at the C&R and I was committed. Trust me, the headache from my sister's dinner party Saturday night was ever present and if I had not told Eric I would be there, this post would not exist.

Arrived at the corrals at 8.30 sharp. Wished he was late so I could cat nap but damn Eric, you are too prompt. No go on the nap. We geared up and got the bikes ready for the ride in. Did I tell you I forgot the camera??

I regress. Ready to roll and I look at Eric. My truck door is locked and keys in my donned backpack.. " Maybe I should get my vest and another layer". Of course I don't. A mistake for sure.

Scattered clouds turn to steady rain the C&R. This was catching weather and the results did not disappoint. Did I tell you I forgot the camera ??.

And to the fish that took me into the backing, thanks very much!! That was a sweet one and there were some more to follow as well. Would have made a nice photo.

Did I tell you I forgot the camera ??

Steady rain and cold........I mean COLD!!! This reigned the day but Eric and I had a blast, although a chilly blast at that.

Sorry no pics. Did I tell you I forgot the layers ?? They would have come in much more handy than the camera. Until next time,

Cheers and " Fish ON"

Merc

Blue Plate Special

2009-11-15T16:19:00.000-08:00

The Trout Season is Here!! That is for us trout river challenged folks here in Texas. This time of year is my favorite as the day trips to the Blue River in OK get into full swing.

I met my buddy Ryan for the initial trip to the Blue this Friday for a little C&R action. I was really excited to see the river again in its glory with the word of higher flows and deeper pools from the rains. Man does the Blue look GREAT!! In one word...YES and she is as clear as I have ever seen her.

Folks that fish the C&R will be glad to see lots of water for the fish to spread out. The fish now have some new holding areas in the side channels and it was really cool to see 17" holding for sight fishing opportunities. It is going to be a good season everyone.

Here is one of the pics that I took of one of the fighting bows. Fish were taking pheasant tails, copper johns, olive boogers and midge larve. With the overcast skies there were some size 16-18 Mayflies hatching but no fish looking up. Keep adjusting that split shot and indicator to get the right depth and you will have a blast.

My day ended by meeting the Lady Blue Ambassador, Barry Schrader and Miss Carol. Pleasure to meet you again Carol. Barry and I had arranged a fly swap so we hooked up at 17. He and I share the love for this area as it is a great place to work on line control and your nymphing techniques. Barry had quit for the day as I was a few minutes late. He and Carol decided to watch me fish for a few and I was getting REAL nervous as drift after drift went by with no fish. Finally with pressure mounting, I was able to land one of new inhabitants at the Blue and I had a sigh of relief. Barry, thanks again for your work on the vise and tie on one of those "Shuka Khan's " as it is a great PM fly for emerging midge and mayflies.

Everyone have a great season on the Blue. I plan to!!

Cheers and good fishing,

Merc

Fall at the San Juan October 09

2009-11-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

Made another trip to my " home " river back in October. I have been VERY remiss in posting here on FFP blog. As you can see, I am a fall and winter fisherman primarily and as the golf season took from April till now, my blogging went to heck. I did a couple of trips this summer but with work and such, I have just not made the time to blog.

BT and the Camp Bitch met me at the Juan along with Kevin Haney, the CB's brother. Kevin is a great dude and it was cool to turn him on to our Juan trips full of fishing, great food and cocktails.

Fall on the Juan is one of my favorite times to be on the river. Cooler temps, crisp mornings and the potential Baetis hatch breakout. As you can see in the pic below we had golf weather for fishing so the hatch was not on and the catching was slow for San Juan standards.

Rusty(CB) loves to get in the boat and Chip made his boat available for us on Saturday of the trip. I had one 17" fish on a ULTRA SLOW take on the CDC Compardun and it will be a take I will not forget. Rusty got hot and Chip, well Chip always hooks fish. He could have had a couple on the "Toon" but forgot that " God save the Queen thing".

Chip and Aaron made dinner that night with us for drinks, tying bugs and the Killer tenderloin. And yes it was killer. Great marinade Bill.

Billy hooked some nice fish as usual with just a few tugs on the streamer this trip. With high skies and blue bird days, it was far from streamer weather but here is a piggy that was looking for a cheeseburger and pics from Bill and I in the Upper Flats.

All in all another great trip to the Juan. Although the fish were few on Sunday, good friend and guide Bubba Smith and his significantly better half, Deb, floated the Lower River. If you have not done this, it is a must. Absolutely beautiful water down there, it is a shame there are no regulations on this 11 mile float. The fishing down there can be extremely fickle but the times it is on, it is on top, all the time. Big hoppers and stimmy's do the trick down there so keep it in mind when you have time and need a change of pace from the Quality Waters. Be sure to hire someone who knows the take out because if you miss it, say hello to Blanco.

Take care everyone and good fishing.

Cheers,

Merc

Broken Bow Blast

2009-04-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lower Mountain Fork River below Broken Bow Reservoir

It was mid April and post winter trout fishing is in full swing. It had been a month or so since my last hook up and I was Jones ING!! Bad. My golf swing has been more on my mind but I needed a trout fix.

My new fishing bud Eric had mentioned that there was room in a cabin on a late weekend in April and I was in. Eric's friend Tom was with him and a truer gentlemen there is not. Tom introduced Eric to fly fishing about 7 years ago, ironically about the same time my friends Mark Cranmer and Tom Herrick had gotten me started. What a wild trip it has been?

When you trout jones in Texas, coldwater options are few, but the Lower Mountain Fork in SE Oklahoma is like going to Colorado, exept a little warmer. Here is a pic from the river.

The fishing was hot Saturday with many fish to the net. Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tails and especially soft hackles were ripping lips. Fishing was fun but dinner and cocktails were to follow.
Tom is a consummate story teller and in his 72 years, has many great tales of adult life that were captivating. A really super guy that I hope I fish with again soon. This was one of the victims on Saturday to a Red Copper John.

Sunday was a little slower but fished some new water, found some solitude and even figured out Zone II with Boogers and the dreaded Skulpzilla. Nothing big but the streamer tug is always a good one. I still have my truck but this trip I debuted the new rig:

THE BAJA TROUT CRUSIER!!

This rig worked like a charm combined with 25 mpg and smooth on the highway, I am very pleased with my purchase.

Well another great trip that ended too soon. Will make this one again soon. Eric, thanks for the invite and cheers to you, Tom and the Fork.

Fish On!!

Merc

Winter Days on the Juan

2009-03-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

I am a lot belated on posting this blog but I want to drive home one point immediately. You must fish the San Juan River in the Winter......WHY you ask?? Well just check the photo below.

Yes my friends, that is the Upper Flats. Can you count the number of people....YES THAT IS ONE! On the Tuesday of the trip, I was the ONLY PERSON IN THE C&R AREA.

How often does that happen. I had the entire upper river to myself and was busting those bows with Black bead wing emergers, eggs and leeches.
Worked down to the Upper Flats and made some tosses at the surfacing fish. As usual, the Griffiths Gnat was spot on.

Of course with a famous tailwater all to myself, I was all smiles. My favorite
fish of the trip, could not resist to smile back.

Yep that is Smilie and in the main channel he fought hard and long. A sweet 20 incher that was icing on the cake for a great trip.

Thanks to Chip, Aaron, Zim, Philthy, James and Debbie for some great company.
Oh yeah, the Bubster was there and thanks for taking me out on the boat and coming to dinner.
Until next time, go fish the Juan in the winter.

No one will be there.

Cheers,

Merc

Journey to the South-Blue River OK

2009-01-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

Well folks as many times that I have fished the Blue River, a day drive from the house, I have rarely crossed that gate in to the Southern Wilderness north of the campgrounds. After a afternoon recently in the C&R, I decided the next morning to hit the "new" area for me. I was pleasantly surprised at the diverse terrain to fish there. I found fish in the riffles but as is accustomed to the Blue, I found most of my fish there in the slack water and pools above and below the falls.

The trout were a willing bunch into lunchtime on a tandem midge rig with a tan pupa and red Merc Flash emerger as the flys of the am. The red color was the popular fly under an indicator early and as the morning progressed and mayflies hit the water, the Phesant Tail took over and the fish went nuts. As Barry and Charlie have recently posted, the terrain here is varied and you can find your own little piece of solitude.

All in all a very fun morning of hooking trout. I was looking for the big Mizzou's which I did not find in this area but the 10-12 inch fish that I landed were fun and full of spunk. I am a catch and release only guy, but a few of these fish would have been a perfect compliment to an omelette with breakfast. For those of you wanting to see some new terrain and looking to find a piece of your own water for a few hours, you cannot go wrong with this piece of the Blue.

Cheers and Good fishing everyone,

Merc

Southern Tailwater in Texas

2009-01-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

Guadulupe River, Sattler Tx.

I had the pleasure this week to return to the Guadalupe River in Sattler Texas, the southern most trout fishing tailwater in North America. This river yielded my first fish on a fly rod some six years ago. The addiction started there and has only grown. Had the chance to fish with a couple of friends Lance Murdock and Tom Herrick, one of the guys who got me rolling in fly fishing.

We were on the water early and had a hook up early. Boy the fish are broad shouldered and fat, some hold overs and some new stockers. The river is very low and the fish are holed up in pools and much like the Blue in OK, this river needs rain. Keep praying please!!

Fish were on the small stuff and broke out the San Juan Box and the Shucka Khan for the first fish of the day.

I covered a bunch of ground in the am at Pott's and really enjoyed the exploration. Sight fished to a couple of nice trout for fifty or so casts with no takes so I continued to move up and hook up. The river is low and clear and the Osprey are ready for any shallow water meals. Continued nymphing the tandem rig and the Shuck continued to produce.

I really enjoyed the return trip to the Guad. Anyone who has not tried to get there and fish it is a must. The GRTU chapter has done an excellent job of stocking the river in conjunction with Texas Parks and Wildlife. The flow arrangements they have forged with the Corp of Engineers has kept the water cool enough towards the dam to keep some holdover trout. With a little more water this spring, I would love to break out the Watermaster and float this bad boy.

Last pic for you was the Big Hooked Jaw Male I landed. Beautiful Fish, Beautiful Place.

Cheers,

Merc

Chilly Day on the Blue

2009-01-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

Well the day was windy and chilly but we had the C&R area all to ourselves. I met my buddy Ryan and his dad John around 9 am for a day to fish our favorite area on the Blue. Wind was whipping and the fishing was tough. It took creativity and diving into all three of my boxes to find the ticket to catch these fish. Pablo's Shucka Khan emerger and Soft Hackles were the flies of the day. Both produced results and all the fish were the largest of the season. The fish seem to be eating well and the largest was pushing 17".

Ryan and did some exploring in the lower C&R area which is just some great streamer water. At the last falls it just looks like a perfect place to launch the Watermaster and I just may have to do that one of these days. Ryan located a crawdad (can you say smallmouth) that was pushing 6 inches long. Very impressive speciman, see below.

All in all, another interesting and enjoyable day on the river. My impression although we have had no rain that the river was up a little and the water was just stained enough that somehow more water had appeared in this area. Some of the sides of the falls where there was no trickle no had moving water. Who knows, Ryan and I both agreed on this.

Until next time.

Cheers,

Merc

Back to the Blue- Finally Trout Season is Here

2008-11-20T18:19:00.001-08:00

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

2008-08-18T15:53:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-14T18:11:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

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

Thanks.

Merc