Summer Dry Fly Fishing Heaven!

Dry Fly Heaven from Jah Raven Creation on Vimeo.

Few places capture the true essence of dry fly fishing when compared to the amazing Elk River chasing Cutthroats.

A Short film showcasing what the Elk Valley has to offer for Flyfishing. Includes shots from the elk river, wigwam, michelle creek and more. Best dry fly fishing in the world.


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Name That Saltwater Fish?

Crazy Looking Saltwater Fish Are Nothing New...What is it?
Wikipedia Definition

The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, or common mola, is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. It has an average adult weight of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). The species is native to tropical and temperate waters around the globe. It resembles a fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended.

If you see this thing coming, go the other way or pull your fly with your 10wt quickly away!


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Shark Week Is Almost Here....Oh Yeah!!!

It's That Time Again

Shark week is back again and the next big question arises, is your TIVO ready? Discovery Channel’s Shark Week is anything but tame when it comes to excitement. Whether it's the incredible actions scenes, amazing leaps by Great Whites captured in HD, to the countless stories that encompass years of unknown knowledge that still cause curiosity as to what is known about this beast of all beast!

Shark Week is celebrating a record 23rd year returning to the Discovery Channel starting this Sunday, August 1 9pm ET. Fly Fish Addiction has been a Shark Week fan as long as I can remember. I believe it was my Sophmore year of college coming in at 1am that Sunday when "The Week" actually started, I stayed up all night watching and never missed an episode that week let alone a year since -that was some ago!

Other shows have popped up from Expedition Great White to popular Shark videos to watch, there's never a shortage of Sharks on TV lately. Can't wait to tie into more Florida sharks sometime soon again on the fly or make it back out to San Diego and fish with master sharkmaster Conway Bowman.



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Tarpon Anyone? Shots Of The Week

Shots To Get You Through The Weekend

Okay, I still can't kick the Tarpon in me this Season. What can I say seeing how I got sidetracked from chasing my favorite fish out there this season, maybe a late Summer/Early Fall trip will get me back into Silvers!

Jan Bach is back at it again taking Poons to another level and capturing Tarpon the way we like to see em! I talked about Jan Bach awhile back on FFA and still can't get enough of his shots still!


Tosh Brown is back as well making me one jealous Saltwater guy! More great shots by Tosh and can you say a perfect wallpaper shot. Tosh also has been mentioned many a times here on FFA also and when you take great shots like these, you'll be on my site a ton!


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Lake Fly Fishing Tips For Carp & Possible State Carp Record

Summer Carp Fishing is Heating Up

With rivers on the rise and rainstorms increasingly more prevalent, where to go for some great Carp fishing? Well no other than your local pond or reservoir to find some Golden Bonefsh for some fun.

Most of you know that I'm a pretty big Carp fanatic, yes it's finally okay to come out and say that one fishes for Carp now that the mainstream has officially caught on. It's caught on so much that a little idea a few of us had some 4 years ago regarding a now Popular Carp Slam has taken off and become the new Fly Fishing tournament each Summer in Denver.



How does one exactly target Carp in a local Lake? That's a good question and one you need not to fret too much about. What Lake in general doesn't hold many of the finest freshwater species to catch, let alone here in the Front Range area. My West Slope brethren may need to drive a bit, sorry Brad Befus, to get into some sweet Carp fishing.

Once you find that perfect Pond, Lake, or Reservoir -be it in Colorado or elsewhere to fish, the next thing is to find out when the prefect time to fish it. Well, let me take that back, anytime you have to fish for Carp is as good as the next so get out whenever possible. The next step, if you can be picky is to see what time of year is good. I've fished with Andrew Green, a fanatical Carp guy from the UK, who also runs the Colorado Carp Association/Carp Angling Group and learned a ton about Stillwater Carp fishing from him. This guy also fishes Carp year round and though they may not fight as hard as the Summer bite, there's still plenty of action even in the early Spring and late Fall it seems.




Top Carp Flies to use vary depending on seasons but many of the same patterns work month after month. The top season to fish for big Carp in Lakes by far are the Cottonwood seed hatch and also the Mulberry period. I love to fish these in May and especially June, but be especially aware that Carp also start to spawn in June so picking those important feeding periods even with the Spawners will be the time to look for.

Carp to Target:
Sunbathers- beware of the bathers, nice to look at but never interested
Cruisers- sure you can cast to and "maybe" get a taker but chances are still pretty slim for a bite
Feeders- well...these would be the ones to go after, finding them is easier said than done though


A state record was just caught in the Denver area a week ago by a young kid at a local pond chasing bass. How big was it? Take a look here and see what he got. The next Carp to be caught a week or so later was by our Pal and Carp Master himself Barry Reynolds. How big was his? His actually measured longer in width and girth than the new record....possible new state record? You bet, but Barry doing what most of us would do is he put it back to live another day.

Lake fishing is hard work no doubt about it, some opinions vary and though I still fish rivers more than anything, Lake fishing can be some of the toughest fishing you can do. One thing to keep in mind is that landing a Carp in a lake is not going to be easy so don't give up. Conditions just like Saltwater have to be in your favor. The right day for sunshine, few clouds, no wind, few crowds so they're not put down by foot traffic, feeders and oh yeah...the rigth cast! Keep it up and send us your pictures when you get one, we'll be happy to post it for you.


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Denver's Trout Happy Hour, The Boys Are Back and So Are Big Golden Dorado's!

Let The Stories Begin!

It's another email again from a few weeks back requesting "When are we having another Trout Happy Hour?" It seems to have been on everyone's mind and after plenty of fishing trips to report from some of our members, a Happy Hour was scheduled immediately.

Summertime brings on the heat, but it also brings out a few frosty's from our favorite Brewpub the Irish Hound here in Denver. After a quick announcement it was now time to get the Fellas together again. Be it Tim who just got back from a week in New Hampshire, Kyle from Compleat Thought who is still reeling from his Henry's Fork Trip, to Steve who just returned from a 10 days in Missoula chasing big browns, to our newest member Joe from Flyrecipes, to Nick from Reelescape Films who brought me a copy of his Drake Film Festival DVD "In the Land of The Cutthroats", Todd who fishes every water every weekend around the state and Charles who just got hitched and headed to Yellowstone the exact time I'll be there with my guys.




We can't forget one of the oldest members of the group Dr. Fred Miller. He would have loved to join us but some lame excuse via his Iphone last week "I'm in Bolivia Fellas chasing massive Golden Dorado's" not able to make it this time. Only Dr. Fred could have been given a hall pass seeing how he's traveling it seems every week to some foreign location, whether be it Mongolia catching huge Taimen, Russia or planning another Chilean Trip again.



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Global Epidemic: 58,000 Stray Dogs Killed in Iraq & Amazon River Dolphins being Slaughtered For Bait!

Global Killings Needs To End!
pic and Story by AP/Link

Most of you know that I try and stick to Fly Fishing topics a majority of the time, but when stories arise about health, safety and important issues that affect us all, I have to talk about it! These two stories are important to me seeing how most of you know I am very involved in the Pet Care Industry as well as how Fisheries are being deeply affected on an International scale.

BAGHDAD - Teams of veterinarians and police shooters have killed some 58,000 stray dogs in and around the Iraqi capital over the past three months as part of a campaign to curb an increasing number of strays blamed for attacks on residents. What's wrong with this picture?? You can't control your city, the people in it as well as provisions for animal welfare so the next best thing is to just Kill them??

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) International calls the methods used by the Baghdad culling program inhumane. SPCA spokeswoman Terri Crisp says the organization understands that Iraq is a war zone, posing a unique set of challenges, but alternatives such as mobile spay and neuter and vaccination programs are available.

Please checkout the Baghdad Pups website on how to help, donate and offer support to helpless dogs on Baghdad at this time

RIO DE JANEIRO — The bright pink color gives them a striking appearance in the muddy jungle waters. That Amazon river dolphins are also gentle and curious makes them easy targets for nets and harpoons as they swim fearlessly up to fishing boats. 1,500 Dolphins on average are being slaughtered annually for bait and from no regulations being enforced. When you have only a "modest" 5 Game and Fish patrol men that cover an area 2x the size of Texas, what do you think the outcome will be?

Now, their carcasses are showing up in record numbers on riverbanks, their flesh torn away for fishing bait, causing researchers to warn of a growing threat to a species that has already disappeared in other parts of the world. Link

Also checkout the support group: The International Society for The Preservation of The Rainforest

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Top Summer Fly Fishing Destinations! From Montana to Costa Rica

It's Time For A Vacation

When Summer finally arrives most of us have already been out a few dozen times, well atleast most of you should have been out that much! Whether it's pre-runoff, prime run-off or post, we all plan around these times to maximize the most from being out during this Season.

Besides planning that Summer getaway you've been daydreaming about day in/day out for months, the next question is how long before my Summer vacation begins. One of the best parts of Summer fishing is not the actual trip itself -though exciting, but the planning one does ahead of time in preparation.

Where is everyone headed this Summer for that much needed getaway? Here are a few choices if you're still on the fence.


Yellowstone
Is there a more impressive venue for a Summer fly fishing trip? The country's top dry fly fishery 100x over and more water to fish than many states combined. I should also know, I lived there many moons ago and get back whenever possible. It's also where I'll be in a few weeks after to Peak rush of Tourons (a term we conceived when living there between tourists and morons). I've been daydreaming about this place for the last 6 months and it doesn't help when you have friend's that keep coming home reminding me of how great it's been lately.

The summer months in Yellowstone see good dry fly fishing on most of it's area rivers and increasing insect activity on the many lakes which offer good fishing. It is a superb time to hike to backcountry fisheries as the small mountain streams are warming, trails have dried out and fishing can be excellent on these out of the way rivers. The small streams in the area are at their best at this time of year and these places are a lot of fun to fish dries to smaller trout. The Madison in Montana remains the focal point for much of our fishing, as few fisheries in the area can match the fish present in the river.


Florida Keys
Most of you who know me know one word gets me every time, well okay two words Saltwater and Tarpon! Those two together can cause me to stop everything I'm doing, float away to Big Pine on a hot Summer day and imagine a 100lb Poon ripping line into my backing from my Riptide Tibor reel. If you haven't experienced this in the last year there's something wrong with you, if you haven't done this at all....you better jump on board bucko!

Although tarpon are caught year 'round in the Keys -except during the worst of the winter cold fronts, the months of April, May, and June are considered "prime time." And as anyone who has fished for tarpon during prime time at some of the more popular spots (Channel 2, Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda Bridge and Key West Harbor) will tell you, there are a heck of a lot of people who think fly fishing for the Megalops atlanticus is really something special, I'm one of them!


RMNP
Rocky Mountain National Park is to those in the Rockies, the next best place to visit when you need an all inspiring Mountain Range without having to break the bank or use your frequent flyer miles. Hundreds to trails leading to every water imaginable, brook trout and greenbacks on a 3wt, what could be better? Well maybe it's the 20 elk you passed earlier or the sunset that still has you marveling at your digital camera from.

When the temps warm up and the lakes start to thaw out "pretty much right now" most in Colorado know that Greenbacks are on the bite! There are plenty of hot spots to fish in Colorado during the Summer and one of the main decisions to deal with is, where are the people not fishing and where can I fish that run off is not taking place? Good thing to know and especially how to deal with. With a little bit of research and some know how, a few locations in RMNP can provide you with all one needs to escape for that Rocky Mountain high adventure.

Costa Rica
One of my favorite Saltwater destinations by far -sorry Belize, Baja and the Bahamas, is Costa Rica! What is it about this place you ask? Hmm between some of the best offshore fishing around and pretty sweet inshore action for Roosters and Tarpon, it's hard to compare with anywhere else for me.

Golfito Sailfish Rancho is one of the top flyfishing destinations on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Come live in a wonderful relaxed section of the coast while you pursue the dream of a Sailfish or Marlin on the fly.

Rogue River Oregon
Rogue River Summer Steelhead is an anomaly among steelhead runs. Rogue River Steelhead return from sea at 2 distinct level or age groups the first referred to as the Half Pounder is very numerous over 300,000 per year driven by the need to feed. Making these steelhead very aggressive and great Fly fishing subjects. Rogue River Steelhead have been to sea and returned to the river with as little as 6 months at sea.


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