Saturday, March 19, 2011

A guides universe.

I live life on the water, and meet people. All sorts and types.
Many connected to me by fishing. They have diverse styles, chase different fish species, in many locations, and kinds of weather.
A few become friends and stay in touch.
Add to that, a few guide buddies, current clients and fishing companions.
It amounts to a fair number of fishing reports.
As a fisherman/guide this is very useful. I need to know.
No matter how busy I stay, I'm challenged to cover all the water that's in this area, year-round.
There are miles of water to stand in.
The bugs in the river are on different pages in different places.
Elevations, flows, higher pressure spots, and the paths less traveled, this is very important information. I, in turn, share my findings with others. That's how the universe works.
The thing is... the best part for me, is hearing all the stories.
Some of these folks know a few fish by name. Literally.
Many, many tales of repeat attempts on tough fish.
Most of the time, big fish do not come along quietly.
Fish have the home field advantage, and the element of surprise the first time.
After that, it takes practice to work out details of a drift, or fly choice, or different approaches to the fish' lie.
There are technical issues that have to be addressed, and failures to recover from.
But often, when it works, fishermen call me to share.
These are diligent, and talented fishermen, who are setting the bar high, then getting over it.
I give them kudos for perseverance, and problem solving, and an ear for sad stories.
They give me support and reassurance when I talk fish with them too.
Many of us fish alone. No one to witness the epic battles when our strategy does work out.
Perhaps they have no one else in their lives that understands just how difficult this self imposed task really is, or our seemingly obsessive behavior, and repeated disappointments.
The guides universe is a kind of organically grown fish support group/ information service.
We provide therapy for the fish challenged, and tribal respect for individual picean victories. We look out for our own. Tell a bunch of fish stories too!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Spring will come!

Well it's happened, spring has arrived! Right along with the time change too!
I figure I lose an hour of fishing, every time they do that.
Don't mind losing sleep, but less fishing?
The river is close to muddy, with just a hint of deep green.
Snowed like crazy last night, in the classic sierra cement style.
The rain/slush made driving sketchy, and closed I-80 this morning.
Winter is battling back, but I have faith it will be warm again someday.
Saw a couple of feisty Rainbows earlier this week, both showing signs of spawn color.
It has been a great early season, fishing small flies over big fish.
But now, I'm ready for spring.
Searching about for any sign of spring, I'll submit that a Skwala stonefly hatch is a serious one.
Saw them near Glenshire this week, molting, and running around on the snow.
Then they do their seemingly suicidal stroll out onto the surface tension in the shallows.
The females ovi-positing send out little rings that call to trout, saying "Eeaatt mmeee!
This time last year the stream ran clear, and we caught BIG browns with Skwala dry flies.
Not so this year, we will have muddy flows. So it goes.
With the influx of new bugs, I'm seeing more birds everyday.
How do they know? They are making an important bet, that they can't afford to lose.
That kind of commitment helps me believe spring will return.
Watched some Ravens cavorting today, barrel-rolls and playing grab-foot.
Looked like breeding behavior to me. Fun/sexy/risky.
They seem to start that stuff before everybody else.
My theory, is that they feed their chicks, the chicks of others.
So they need a little head-start.
In life, timing is everything, and you have to work all the angles.
On that note, there is a happy hour nearby that I shouldn't miss.
Got a client there last week.
While getting my one meal a day, and frosty beverage at a discount.....
Speaking of angles.