RMNP, July 19, 2013

Got up at 5:30 and decided to fish a new spot in RMNP - it is less than a mile from our cabin. I was at the trailhead at about 6am and dropped in at the bridge and started bushwhacking through the under brush and downed trees. The creek is beautiful, with millions of trees laying across it, trees hugging the bank, small pocket water and the chance at seeing wildlife at every turn.


The problem is that the logs are usually laying across the best runs, so that makes them unfishable with a nymph. The good runs hug the far shoreline and usually have a huge branch laying in the middle. If you don't mind getting a hang up on your first cast, you fish them. But after a while it is frustrating ruining a great spot on the first cast when you have to go pluck your flies off a tree limb on the bottom or out of the bush hanging over the bank. You just keep moving on. The water here is freezing cold and usually shallow - the creek is losing a lot of altitude as well, so there are sections you just have to skip because they are too fast and no place for a fly to be tucked into to catch the brookie that you know lives in there.

I fished until about 8:30 and caught a bunch of little fish - all brookies - the biggest may have been 7 inches. I did work hard for these fish - often having to skip over 20 or 30 yards of water to find the next ok run to fish. The brookies are just as willing here. Most were tiny - like think the size of your pinkie small. I did manage 2 nice fish towards the end. Both had sharp coloration and fought way better than their size. See the pics below for some shots from the GoPro.

This last pic is for all of you who really know me - yes, again, there is better reception in the park than at my cabin - and yes, on the walk out I did answer a few texts and emails!

So far, this vacation does NOT suck!