Colorado Fly Fishing ? Bait Huckin vs. Fly Fishin

It was one of those fishing trips. You know, everyone catches fish but you, you loose six or eight of your most expensive streamers, it rains buckets, and you sink the boat. That's right; I got skunked at Steamboat Lake over Memorial weekend.

I was determined to show those meat huckers (worms and power bait) that a well chosen and strategically placed fly was as effective as anything a conventional fisherman could load on a hook and hang under a bobber. Well, no such luck, I got stomped.

The fish were rising like mad on a midge hatch, and I threw everything in the box at them. I could swear I saw a hefty rainbow nudge my fly to the side to eat the natural laying only centimeters from my damn near perfect replica. As we watched the group of 12 year olds add another 18" fish to their stringer (full loaded, I might add) I decided it must be a lake thing. I don't fish lakes often.

I usually have good luck with a streamer in faster moving water, so I head for one on the several tributaries hoping to get the boat up far enough to make a make a few good casts. No such luck, here comes the wind. Determined and frustrated, I proceed to lose several of my best streamers in the dense shrubbery surrounding the mouth of the creek (can't retrieve them since the current is too strong to get the boat any further up the creek).

On the way back to camp we are passed by a couple of boats with stringers of fish crashing off the bows of their boats (hmmm, are they just rubbing it my face, or are they tenderizing the meat?)Questioning my decision to become a fly fisherman, I head over to the dock to pick up my 5 year-old son and a fresh styro of night crawlers. I'll let my son fish the meat before I crumble and load one up on the spinner myself. Surprising, no luck with the meat either, and hear comes the rain. I throw my arms up and ponder my karma activity of the past year.

We charge for shore as the lake turns to white caps. The rain and lightning moves in fast. Did I mention that we got the boat for free and have no clue what to do in the rain? We pull the boat up close to shore near our camp, outside of the no-wake zone. We leave all of our gear and head for the soggy camp.

Well, apparently it's best to leave your boat in protected cove in the no wake zone. From what we could tell, our boat was hammered with 300 to 400 gallons of water from the waves and boat wakes from boaters rushing back to the dock. Yes, it sank in 18 inches of water. I didn't realize a boat could sink in 18" of water! All of our gear is floating around the shore. The gas tank and gear which included an Orvis waste pack with hmmmm, some 500 plus flies. Every box any fly had to be opened and dried on the dashboards of our trucks.

We bail the boat, load the truck and haul our soggy gear and crippled egos back home.

Next memorial day, it's back to the river!!!

Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of small, compact fly fishing journals, hiking journals, rock climbing journals, travel journals, bird watching journals and more.

---

Spinnerbait Fishing Tactics for Spotted Bay Bass

Like most fishermen my age I originally learned about spinnerbait... Read More

Why Water Skiing and Fishing Dont Mix

With the fourth of July weekend freshly behind us, I... Read More

The Truth About Night Fishing

Why Night Fishing Beats Day Fishing Any Day of the... Read More

Take a Kid Fishing

Take a kid fishing and they will learn to be... Read More

Information on the Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout are a fresh water fish. They are aggressive... Read More

Saltwater Fly Fishing in Washington State

When most people think of saltwater fly fishing their minds... Read More

Bass Fishing? Watch Out For the Gators!

Lakes in certain parts of the country contain more than... Read More

Organization is Key to Successful Fishing

Talk to a professional angler like Kevin Schweder(2003 PWT Rookie... Read More

Monster Hunt: Ledge Lunker Blues Part I

Originally published in Procats Online MagazineSummertime angling for trophy-sized blue... Read More

Fly Fishing for Largemouth Bass

Like all bass fishing, bass fly fishing has exploded in... Read More

10 Fishing Gems

Fishing Gem #1 ? When Is Best?If you are in... Read More

Night Fishing Preparation, The Key To Success

Preparation is the Key To Successful Night Fishing, You Better... Read More

The Sublime Pleasure of Fly Fishing

Fly fishing has a history stretching back... Read More

Swimbaits Are Swimming East

What lures are 4-13" long, been used regularly on the... Read More

Swordfishing Fort lauderdale Style

I was laying down on the bow of the boat... Read More

Ice Fishing in the Wisconsin Winter

It's late December... temperatures are racing towards 0 degrees. Ice... Read More

Fly Fishing Small Streams

Picture this; you've spent some time hiking into a small... Read More

Fishing Team Gear Helps Teams Market To Sponsors

Competition between offshore and inshore anglers has skyrocketed within the... Read More

Butterfly Jigs Create Buzz with American Fishermen

A big buzz within the fishing community that is spreading... Read More

Spawning the Chinese Algae-Eater

Gyrinocheilus aymonieri Common name: Chinese algae-eater Family: Gyrinocheilidae... Read More

Fishing for Salmon? Do You Know the Different Salmon Species?

Did you know that there are five species of Pacific... Read More

Women and Fishing -- Not Just A Mans Sport

More and more women are learning to enjoy fishing each... Read More

The Way Of A Bass Fisherman With a Fly Rod And The Way Of A Bass With A Fly

-----SIDEBAR------------------------------------------Older fly fishing classics contain a wealth of knowledge for... Read More

Social Robotic Fish in Fish Farms

We have a problem in our fish farms, especially Salmon.... Read More

Orlando Florida Fishing - Redfish Capital of the World

When visitors think of Orlando and Central Florida, they imagine... Read More

Choosing Steelhead Gear

Steelhead GearLike many things in fly fishing you can ask... Read More

Communications Equipment in the Wilderness

For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling in all kinds... Read More

Fishing the Points

Sometimes bass fishing in a big lake can be overwhelming.... Read More

Choosing The Fishing Trip Destination Thats Right For Your Group

Try doing a web search on the words "fishing lodge"... Read More

Swordfishing in South Florida

Southeast Florida Swordfishing ? "Purple Fever"Once you have your tackle... Read More

Swordfish and Swordfishing

Generally an oceanic species, the swordfish is primarily a midwater... Read More

How To Find Fish

PondsAnywhere there is a pond; it could be a hidden... Read More

Fishing For Bass In Deep Water

When fishing for bass in deep water try a spinnerbait... Read More