New videos, and the start of hard water

I haven’t posted on here in a while, so here is another recap post. To start, Ive uploaded 2 new tying videos for Mike Schmidt's Red Rocket: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXA6lDjDdqU&list=UUDshY4DlzPO3syYZ2OnvR7g and Rich Strolis's Headbanger Sculpin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ9MNnZgzVM&index=3&list=UUDshY4DlzPO3syYZ2OnvR7g

Both are killer patterns, and are both big and meaty! Also, Ice season has set in on most waters above 7000 ft around here, but with lots of wind and warm water, the ice has gone from some places. The only safe ice in the red feather lakes area was on Bellaire Lake, so thats whew my season began. It was easy to get fish, and I ended up with numbers in the high 40's for myself. The best fish of the day was around 13in, so nothing huge, but it was a killer way to kick off the season! Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQhyiRuIW7M&list=UUDshY4DlzPO3syYZ2OnvR7g&index=1

Tight Lines,

Rob

Re-cap time!

So it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything on here, so I figured a recap was in order. Just a few days after my cuttie adventure, I was able to slay some nice grayling up in the hills! Got 20 something fish and many of them were over 14in!

A bit after that, I was a part of a weeklong TU camp, and I not only learned a ton, but stuck a few fish too! Link to a short article I wrote here: The TU Fly Fishing and Conservation Camp

I also got a new TFO rod, along with a new FishPond pack, both of which I love!

I went up to steamboat a few days later, and the local fish showed me a little love, including some nice streamer and nymph trout, along with my first pike on the fly, followed by many more!

School started a week later, so as a bit of a relief, I got to go do some brookie fishing and relive some of the stress of the first week

But overall, the past few months have been dictated by 4 letters: C-A-R-P! my addiction with these suckers has only grown, and it culminated with my first grassie on the fly just a few days back! I have a video of one of the days here: Carp on the fly 8/30/14I also came up with 2 of the most effective carp patterns I've used, The foam back craw and carp candy. both scored big numbers for me, and I'm pretty proud of how well they work! Video here: Rob Stouts's Carp Craw

Overall, it has been a blast of a few months, and I promise to keep the site better updated.

Tight lines,

Rob

High Mountain Cutties

My dad and I headed to the hills yesterday around 4:30AM for some cutthroat action. We hiked into the lake, and immediately saw cruisers up shallow. I took off in the float tube, and quickly missed a fish. I then hooked a giant, who I lost after around 1 minute of fighting. I hooked up again around 10 ft down the bank, and got in my first fish, a 17in cuttie. I caught and lost a few more, and then we hiked to the next lake. My dad quickly lost a fish, and then caught a nice cuttie. I hooked and lost a brown, and quickly caught a nice brown. We went back to the first lake, and my dad got one on a dry, And after a while, he gave me the tube again. I went over and caught 4 more fat fish, all between 17 and 19in, along with losing a few. I hooked one trolling back over to return the boat as well, but I lost him. My dad went over and caught a few more, and to close off the day, he caught a big one trolling back to pack up. Overall, it was a killer day, and for the first time ever, I out fished my dad fly fishing 8 fish to 4! All fish were released. Video here: High Mountain Cutties
Tight Lines
Rob

Fly Tying - Matt Grajewski's No Name Streamer

Link to video: Fly Tying - Matt Grajewski's No Name Streamer
This is a fly that I found on Matt's fly obsession website. It was originally just a sketch that he threw together, but when I tried tying it, what I got was truly a masterpiece of a fly! So I figured, lets throw one together ant make a video! So here is the result... Matt Grajewski's No Name Streamer.
Recipe:
Back Hook: #2 Aberdeen
Tail: Magnum zonkered rabbit strip
Under Tail: Bucktail
Body: Polar Chenille
Wing: Magnum zonkered rabbit strip
Front Wing: Marabou

Front Hook: #2 Aberdeen
Eyes: Large dumbbell eyes
Connection: Bedalon wire
Beads: 3 Large Beads
Tail: Marabou on top and bottom
Body: Polar Chenille
Wing: Magnum zonkered rabbit strip
Gills: Grizzly marabou
Flash: Krystal flash
Over Wing: Magnum zonkered rabbit strip
Head: Senyo's laser dub, trimmed to shape.

Streamers

Spent the morning down at the vise to crank out a bit of meat. Here's what I tied up;

Nick Seiler's Cleveland Streamer
Back half
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Tail: 2 saddle hackles
Body: palmered marabou (2 colors) and cactus chenille
Hackle: schlapen
Wing: bucktail clump
Legs: silli legs
Front half
Connection: 50lb power pro
Beads: 2 large glass beads
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Body: palmered marabou and cactus chenille
Hackle: schlapen
Wing: bucktail clump
Legs: silli legs
Head: laser dub
Eyes: large mirage eyes

Mike Schmidt's Mufasa
Back Half
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Tail: marabou
Body: cactus chenille
Hackle: 2 colors of schlapen
Legs: silli legs
Wing: marabou
Front half
Connection: 50lb power pro
Beads: 2 large glass beads
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Tail: marabou
Body: cactus chenille
Hackle: 2 colors of schlapen
Legs: silli legs
Wing: marabou
Collar: laser dub
Head: fish skull

Kelly Galloup's Circus Peanut
Back Half
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Tail: marabou
Body: cactus chenille
Hackle: schlapen
Legs: silli legs
Front Half
Connection: 50lb power pro
Beads: 2 medium glass beads
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Body: cactus chenille
Hackle: schlapen
Legs: silli legs
Eyes: large dumbbell eyes
Head: cactus chenille

Charlie Craven's Double Gonga
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Tail: marabou
Body: chenille
Hackle: schlapen
Legs: silli legs
Front Half
Connection: 50lb power pro
Beads: 2 medium glass beads
Hook: #2 aberdeen
Body: chenille
Hackle: schlapen
Legs: silli legs
Eyes: large dumbbell eyes
Wing: laser dub
Head: laser dub

surprise bass

I spent the morning up on the big t in the canyon, but only hooked and lost one fish. Wanting to break my skunk, I headed out to north lake park in loveland, hoping to catch a little stocker bow, but I also was looking for carp as well. After fishing for trout with various nymphs and streamer for 2 hours, I gave up and rigged up the 8wt with a trouser worm. I wandered around the lake trying to spot one but after 3 or 4 laps and only seeing one cruiser out deep, I about gave up. I saw a bit of nervous water out a bit deeper, and I pitched the fly out in front of it. I got a slight twitch in the line, so I set the hook, and the fish took off. It felt like a small carp, but when it surfaced, I got quite a surprise. It was the first bass I had ever seen out of this pond, and it was a big one too! It was only 16in, but it weighed just over 4lbs, and it was truly a football! My buddy took a few pics, and it went back on its way.

Surprise Carp!

I headed up north Saturday morning to go float a lake for some smallies. I headed out around 5:15, and I was at the lake by about 5:50. I was in the drink by about 6, and that’s when the fun began. I fished the first part of the bank with a craw fly called a sparkle dad, but unfortunately, the fish didn’t want to cooperate. I kicked up to one of my favorite spots on the bank a; pipe pumping in water under a tree, and made a cast as far back in there as I could. I let it drift out for about 5 seconds, and then lifted up. There was a bit of weight, so I set the hook. The fish acted like a smallie for a bit, and then out of the blue, shot off out deep. Now not only did this fish double over an 8wt, but it also took me into my backing multiple times while towing my tube around. The whole time, I was debating what it was. First it was a giant smallie. Next it was a huge brown. I kept guessing, until I felt the signature head shake. I eventually hoped out of my tube, took off my fins, and positioned a net in wader belt all while fighting the fish. Finally after a 20 minute fight, I turned his head into the tiny trout net we had, and got him to hand. Now I didn’t weigh this carp, but he had a massive gut and his shoulders were around 4 inches wide. After a quick photo shoot, he was swimming off back into the drink. I didn't land any other fish, but It was still just an absolute blast to get smoked on an 8wt and get towed around a bit in the tube! 

Tight Lines,

Rob