Couldn't buy...

... a bite today. Skunked. Nada. No love. Yes, this happens. When it does, it makes you appreciative of the days when fish are cooperative, rising and taking your flies eagerly. I don't want to start blaming this or that or over-analyzing it, at the end of the day it doesn't matter. I couldn't figure out how to adapt and the wind made things worse. So I decided to call it a half-day and drive home and take my daughter to the movies.

Today I focused on fishing with my Amago and the no.4 level hi-vis fluoro line from Tenkarabum. The level line made it easier to cast in the wind (until the wind became too much and blowing directly downriver). I am still trying to figure out how to properly fish without an indicator and I agree that the hi-vis line makes it much easier to follow the drift and probably to detect strikes (did I mention I had NO strikes yet?). The line was a bit kinked from being stored, but stretching it out while extending the rod took care of that. I remembered somewhere reading to keep a bit of kink in the last foot or so that would enable to detect strikes easier when the line became tight. I agree, I was very much able to detect immediately when I hung up on the bottom. I am sure it also works when a fish actually takes your fly, but, well, maybe I can confirm that next time when I actually get one to bite.

This was also the first time I took out my new waist pack (yes, some would call it a fanny pack) and I am so for very happy with it. Small and compact, it holds what I need, plus two granola bars should I become hungry. It also functions as a wading belt and my net and a bottle holder can be easily attached. It became a bit wet due to my lack of wading abilities (I slipped and was barely able to recover) and my inability to gauge water depth...

My rig consisted of a size 16 RS2 Sakasa Kebari, the one I tied for the swap mentioned in the previous blog entry, my go-to fly, a size 20 lazy RS2 mercury as a dropper as well as a 3rd dropper a size 20 Wire Bloodworm which I later changed for a size 20 souped-up Top Secret Midge.

RS2 Sakasa Kebari

Lazy RS2 mercury

Wire Bloodmidge

Top Secret Midge

No fish pix today, but some shots of the river:

River Notes:

South Platte River, somewhere below Deckers

Flow: 190cfs-ish

Water Temp: 38F (so I have been told. and which would explain to a certain extent lack of bites)

Air Temp: 23F @ 10am, 56F @1.30pm

Weather: Sunny, windy/breezy

A whole new bag, baby!

Ever since I picked up a Tenkara rod, I have been using a fairly old bag from the Gap (yes...) to reduce on the stuff I carry on stream. However, I felt it was still too big and I was looking for a smaller alternative. At some point, I realized that a good old fanny pack (please no jokes!) would be a good alternative. Of course, I couldn't find my old fanny pack that I acquired wayyyyy back and I have since been looking for an appropriate new one.

The other day, I was at Wal Mart and stumbled upon a fairly small waist pack (that's what fanny packs are called now...) at a price I couldn't pass up (below $7). Worst case, i thought, would that I need to return it.

At home, I started moving all my on-stream utensils to the smaller bag:

- leader wallet with fly lines
- fly box (there are some changes being made here too...)
- grease, floatant, sink putty
- license
- camera (new on belt instead of in bag)
- tippet
- hemostats
- clipper
- dry cloth
- water bottle (on belt)
- Swiss Army knife (of course)

I realized the bag is considerably smaller and I had to re-think my setup and what I will be carrying on-stream - in other words, I had to downsize again. The end result is a simpler and more essential approach since I was also able to do away with the lanyard that I was also typically carrying.

I wanted to put all of this to a test last Sunday, but alas, the one day I wanted to go fish I came down with a nasty cold. Maybe this coming Sunday...