Teaching Old Dogs New Casts

While others might have been out fishing the high country, or floating some of the

waters that are finally coming down , or just having a picnic with the family today.

Mrs. Floatfisher and I thought we would send a fun filled 8 hours in the sun being humbled

and taught the finer skills of Spey Casting by Simon Gawesworth .

 The South Platte in downtown Denver would prove to be an excellent training

ground, with flows that would rival most steelhead rivers. It would give us the perfect

currents to practice our Roll Casts, Snap T's, Single Spey's, Double Spey's and Switch Casts.

 With only 6 students, each would have ample opportunity to be scolded and throttled

like a newly arrived cadet in boot camp. Holy shit, 6 hours of casting and couples hours of classroom

Instruction will plain wear your ass out. 

 Here Simon, works with this "special"student, I think I finally got it after  

couple of smacks to the back of the head. 

All kidding aside, what a fantastic class, more practice while we are floating the Missouri, 

and Colorado this summer, so we are in tune and ready for the Deschutes in September.

Don't want to make a spectacle out of myself.(or anymore of one)

Would highly recommend Simon's class to anyone who needs a touch up or knows nothing about the 

art of casting a two handed rod. He is very patient, and an excellent teacher.

boatWERX

I foresee two weeks of this action in our future, nuttin' but boat unloading, dragging

rowing, fishing, tying knots, little AC/ DC and snoop Dogg to get the blood pumping in the morning.

Let's get it on. If your not out fishing you are stale and old. Get a Life.

Fly boxes are jam packed with every imaginable pattern, if we don't have,

we know where to buy more and pack more fly boxes full. Liquor, well as you would

guess, we have that covered too, fully stocked traveling saloon. 

 Next stop, at couple of rivers to bend a few new rods in the quiver.

yippee que yah , MF......

Falling into Perfect Shape

After a great flush some of our great river sheds are rounding into perfect summer shape, by the time Ms. Floatfisher and I return from rivers far away, our home waters will be in perfect shape.

We look forward to the season know as " silly season" , that short window of time, right after high water, where every fishing in the river is on the feedbag and willing to eat dry flies, especially big

foam gaudy ones.

Arkansas River at Wellsville

The Ark is at 3200 and change and dropping nicely give it another week, it will be still high but really nice for the floating angler, pounding the edges with some large golden stones.

The Colorado is also just a week or so away from being ready, flows are really dropping fast, with the width of this river to disperse the flow, and the flush, there should be some spectacular summer fishing on hand soon. Are you ready.... I am.

Rio Grande River 

Probably pretty damn close , would like to be down there if we did not have a spey casting class 

to attend. Although still slightly high and in the willows, streamers and the nymph rig would wrangle a few, not far away from some green drakes starting to show up.

The Art of Bill Hartman

Bill Hartman lives, fishes and paints in Key West. He studied with internationally-known watercolorist Dong Kingman. He is also a member of the Society of Illustrators. His work has appeared in newspapers and national magazines, including Field and Stream. He also illustrated several children’s books for a national publishing company and also for a toy manufacturer.

His art is inspired by the elements of the natural world and his passion for the outdoors, especially sport fishing. These passions, which have taken him around the world, provide his subject matter and color palette.

His watercolors, acrylic (and digital) artwork are not always representational…his goal is to capture the intrinsic atmosphere of their location and reflect special moments in time and place and bring these to the viewer
Digital on Canvas Prints

 "Broken Off"

" Permit Shot" 

"Splash"

Wild Hair

Ya know, when you get a wild hair and you just decide to load the boat and go.

We giddy up, we did. Thanks to a great tip from a good buddy who suggested we

head up to 307 country and try some fishing. He mentioned the water should be dropping

and fishing improving.

The Adipose getting broken in on another western river, the we reduced the cost per 

fish just a little bit more. 

 My guide enjoying a cool refreshing PBR after putting client on a nice 

brown trout. Damn Greenies think they can just come up and catch all the fish, well

we didn't but we sure had fun.

After a day on the great day on the river, nothing tastes better than

a couple of ice cold Paco IPA's at the Hotel Wolf. 

 The bug hatches were incredible, with large caddis hatches coming off, some fantastic

PMD's  and some yellow sallies thrown in to the mix. This crazy bastard took a purple chubby

just for shits and grins.

 Back channel fishing was fantastic both Saturday and Sunday mornings before 

the big heat of the day, some nice large rising fish. I love summer.

The river was still a little big and off color, but dropping 200 cvs. daily , this weekend

should be the bomb, wish we could be back to enjoy more.

Saturday night featured on of the best meals we have had in a very long

time. When visiting Saratoga, I would highly recommend eating at Bella's, make sure you

make reservation, hard to get into, unless eating very late. 

All plates were amazing, pasta's out of this world as well as the Wyoming beef, but save room

for some of the absolutely best homemade cheesecake.

We will be back..... Maybe on our way back from Montana

"Plated" by kuchynkaPHOTO

"Plated"

"Summer Haze" by Montana Wild

Although we are grateful for the water and runoff to clean up our Colorado rivers of the built up 

silt and debris of last summers late monsoons. It is video shorts like this that makes yearn for runoff

to end tomorrow so we can start casting to rising fish. 

The guys at MontanaWild know how to capture a story in their videos, while adding some great soundtracks and fantastic water and fish into the mix.

Add a little extra baileys to the coffee this morning, this is a good one. 

"Summer Haze" by MontanaWild

Wow- She'z Movin

Not quite the flows of 2011, where it reached almost 25K, but some pretty impressive runoff happening over on the lower Colorado near Glenwood Springs. Considering the little yellow triangles are the 48 year Daily Medians. (not quite double but close)

Please be wise and keep off these big crazy rivers for a week or two more, don't need any addition deaths.

Dodge Tough

Spotted in a field early in the morning, the ole' DODGE. Stands tough , yet ready for another 

days work.

Soft Hackle in the Backdrop

soft hackle in the light of the day. 

Hemo Hacks

Some fantastic time saving tips from our friends at Gink & Gasoline. Check out this short 

video short featuring the use of hemostats in tying the speed clinch knot and triple surgeons knot.

Thanks to Justin Pickett for these helpful tips.

Floatin' Foto's

Lunch stop on the Colorado River

Foggy morning departure on the Missouri River, don't let this fool you, fishing was pretty good.

Searching for steel on the Klickitat, or kings if we have too.

Guide Hands

"Guide Hands"

Often weather beaten, dried and cracked. Guide Hands have thousands of cuts, pokes scrapes and

burns and countless of things. Hundreds of day of rowing in between well needed rest, a little lotion and some TLC. These Guide Hands often work for the love of the river and lifestyle, as we know the pay sucks.  

Thank you Guides and Guide Hands. 

Sweet(Grass) Orgy

Hopper Love, the season is getting closer, is your arsenal of hoppers ready to go.

Tuesday Zen by LC Journal

Pull this up on the 24" Monitor, enjoy the great video short of "Tuesday Zen" by LC Journal.

Here is why we do what we do......

Enjoy you morning cup of joe and dream.

Havana Bound

" Havana Bound "

Mighty Mongrel Mob

Being a huge fan of photography, I am mesmerized at the power and lengths a photo can go to tell a  

story.  I came across this great article on the New Zealand Gang-  Mighty Mongrel Mob, as 

told through the lens of Jono Rotman and shared on Vice.com. Although I would not condone gangs and gang activity  you rarely get a look inside the inner workings of these these different gangs and clubs.  For the full interview, view the website.

"In the 1960s, a gang of variously disaffected youth sprang up in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. They didn't ride bikes, but they quickly developed all the trimmings of an outlaw motorcycle club: patches, club colors, and a fiercely violent process of initiation. They came to be known as the Mighty Mongrel Mob and today they're the largest gang in the country, with around 30 chapters across both islands.

Media access to the Mob is rare, which is why this photo series by Jono Rotman is kind of a big deal. Jono, who is a Wellington born photographer now living in NYC, cut his teeth capturing New Zealand's prisons and psychiatric wards, before he took on gang life in 2007. We asked him how he convinced hardened gang members to sit for large format photography, and what he learned along the way."

All photo courtesy of Vice.com / Jono Rotman

Saturday Snaps

added another Hatch to the collection, can never have enough of them. have to figure

out what to rig it up with.

the fantastic Sparkle Minnow, fish it.. now is the perfect time, off color water. do it....

Wader Repair!

Meat Stick, rigged for business.

Summer's a Comin'

" Heed the Call" with a little tail shot.

Dennis Miller's Famous D-Midge in purple. Don't have, you should 

they catch.

Your cabin made as well as this old timer?

Just another slice of heaven.

Von Behr Care Package by Abel

Earlier this spring,  I was lucky enough to do some work with Ross Reels and AbelAutomatics with a few of my photo's, and in turn received an extremely nice package of goodies. I am proud to add another fine Abel Von Behr Edition to my line-up of Super N models that we currently own.

Not only only one of the most beautiful reels on the market, they are one of the most durable, and boast one of the stoutest drags on the market. 

Added to the gift box was the schwag of additional hats and t-shirts and the customary 

stickers to adorn the dry boxes, coolers and misc. refrigerators.

If you do not own an Abel Reel give them a look. Especially the customized painted ones, as the 

Mayfly, Skull -n- Cross Bones, Grateful Dead Series-  Dancing Bears or the Derek DeYoung Series.