Fishing with Charlie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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