Out with the Family

I can usually get my wife to go with me ice fishing only once a year. So I was totally shocked when she actually wanted to go today. Okay, seriously now, she wanted to go last night but this morning was a little more hesitant. I guess our bed must be too comfortable. 

Anyway, even though getting everything ready takes forever when the boys are involved, we still managed to get to Scofield Res. at about 8:30am. A quick walk down the hill and we were setting up in about 19' of water. 

He's ready

Other than two light hits for the wife, this spot was pretty dead. So I decided to move in a little closer to shore to see if they were cruising the shorelines. Once I found the 9' depth mark it was a completely different lake. 

Only Tiger of the day

Constant hits and four fish while trying to get the shack and equipment relocated made the move even more of a pain, but it was good to be seeing fish. 

He may have channeled his Great Grandpa on the hookset
 (just a little overexcited), but he got the job done

Unfortunately, once the whole outfit was set up again the fishing slowed down a bit. Both boys were able to get a fish, though the younger one needed a little help, and couldn't hold on to it for the pic. Pink Maniac Gizzy Bugs and Orange Maniac Cutter Bugs seemed to be the jigs of choice, but only when tipped with minnow.

For the record, the boys only wear Broncos stuff because
of their Mother, I'm a 49ers fan.

Once the action had slowed, so did the enthusiasm for keeping after it. So we loaded up and drug the sled up the hill, which because of all the packed down snow proved to be quite the challenge. Oh well, good day out with the family on the hardeck. Hopefully, you can out and enjoy the water. But more importantly, get together and enjoy your family for the holidays!

Packing List

So far this year I've been out on the ice twice, and both trips I've forgotten very little of what I need. Usually, in my excited haste I forget something extremely important and/or useful. But this year is different because I made a packing list to reference each time I'm getting things ready to go. So Here's my list:

• Jet Sled
• Poles
• Jigs
• Bait - minnows and meal worms
• Ice Shack
• Fish Finder
• Auger
• Lighter
• Camera 
• Stove
• Water
• Soup/food & snacks
• Pan
• Plastic Cups
• Ice scoop
• Knife
• Plastic bags
• Toilet paper
• Chairs
• Pliers
• Propane
• Heater
• Hot Chocolate

The last two on the list are usually only taken if the family is coming with me, or I'm expecting things to get really cold. All of this 'stuff' packs nicely into my jet sled and I'm never without anything I need, or most times even anything I want.

Is there anything missing from the list? Anything you'd do without?

With any luck my family will do some ice fishing tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes. Hope that you can get out and enjoy the water.

Out in the cold...

This afternoon I managed to get out for a little more ice fishing with a couple of friends of mine. One of these guys had only been out on the ice once before. I really wanted it to be a good experience for him so then he could decide if this was something he liked. Decided on a lake that I hadn't heard much about since winter overtook us. That probably should've been a clue....

The snow was deep, the ice slushy, the fish few and far between (the sightings that is, we didn't actually catch anything), and man, oh man, it was cold! Like hands freezing to the auger cold!

So this brings me to the point of this picture-less post....I want to go again tomorrow. Do you think I have a problem?

(And yeah, when I'm ice fishing sometimes I daydream about flyfishing once the weather warms up, so what?)

First Ice

Tis the season for a bit of ice fishing. Normally I'm more of a fly guy, but once the temps get cold enough to put ice in the guides on every cast I'm all for busting out the auger and going after the trout from the hard-deck. So bright and early I got the boy out of bed and we readied ourselves for the day out in the weather.

He seems a little tired

Cold, but pretty

Realizing that we weren't exactly outfitted for the new season, we had to make a couple of unplanned stops. When we finally made it up to Scofield Reservoir it looked more like a tent city, but we found a corner for ourselves and got our shack set-up.

This guy put up a good fight

The boy was workin' it early and found a willing Tiger Trout and several Cutts. 

Lot's O Cutts

Later I managed a few of my own, between making some lunch (Ramen Noodles, oranges, m&m's and coke...Whatever it takes to keep the kid happy)

The boy likes being the photog too

It didn't seem to matter what jigs we used, when the school came through they were hitting anything we had down. Made for a great time out in nature with some great company. Got to take those kids fishing, before they get old and boring! I think my guy will remember this one for a while. He fished more independently that he ever has before, and we even spotted a wild turkey and several deer on the way home. The conversation on the ride was all about the next adventure. Hope you can get out and enjoy the water, hard or otherwise.

Last look back

Sunset on Skyline Drive

Beginning of the End

Thanksgiving break came with a lot of 'stuff' to get done this year. So I was really excited to be able to get out today and enjoy the last of the good weather. Bright and early I was heading south to pick up where we had left off on The Sevier River.

Early success

 Once I hit the water I was greeted with a couple of quick fish. But holy crap it was cold!

Never had ice cake my line before...

 The cold and ice made for some slow going, especially when I got a tangle or had to tie a knot, but once the sun came out it warmed up fast.

Beauty

And the fishing warmed up too. Nymphs were the way to go for sure. Best fly was the mod. Hares Ear by far and was consistent throughout the day. 

Post spawn

Fishing was awesome throughout the day, but the last hour was amazing. After a fish rose to my indicator I threw on a Chubby Chernobyle and managed a few on top, on a terrestrial, on the first of December!

Double!

Last cast of the day I managed a double! One on top and one on the dropper. 

Mug Shot

Playing with the camera

Parting Shot

Amazing day on the stream today, but looking at the forecast it'll probably be the last for a little while. I think it might be time to break out the auger and hit the hard deck. Either way, I can't wait to get out again. Hopefully you'll get a chance to get out and enjoy the water.

Turning

Didn't get out fishing today, but I did manage to get some stuff done around here. Most importantly, I was able to turn a couple of handles for the rods of my future. One is meant for a 8wt blank that I've already bought. The second handle is for a blank I'm yet to buy, but it's not too far off.

Redneck Lathe

Trying to make handles that feel right,
lookin' good is just a perk.

With any luck I'll get out fishing tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes. Hope you can get out and enjoy the water.

Arches

Usually we try and get one of families to do an early Thanksgiving dinner so that we don't have to choose between them. This year, both sides wanted to do a dinner early which left Thanksgiving day open for us to do as we pleased. So we decided to load the kids up and take a day trip down to Arches National Park to celebrate the day.

First things first, upon arrival we had to check out the visitor's center. It was here that the kids encountered a strange relic from the past:

They actually work!

The fog was unbelievable en route, and made the ride considerably longer, but once we were in the park it made for some really nice views.

It almost doesn't even look real

Arches is a great park to take the kids. With a ton of short hikes and plenty of awesome views, our young'uns found some great arches.

Double Arch

Really cool to be able to get right up under them

However, the kids couldn't make every hike. So we ended up settling for the viewpoint when it came to the iconic Delicate Arch.

Not a bad pic from a distance!

Made for a great day with the family, and a great reminder of what I'm thankful for. Tomorrow, I'll get some fishing in.

Thankful

I was so excited to get out after a long week of anticipation. Sometimes it seems like looking forward to these outings is all that gets me through the low points in during the week. This week was especially appealing with the promise of getting to fish for the first time with Courtney from Zip Dog Fly Fishing (who also happens to be my brother-in-law) and the possibility of getting to try out an ITB rod from Risen Fly (the full review will be coming once I get to try it out in a few different situations). The plans came off without a hitch, and I received the test rod Friday. But with so many places that I really want to hit before all on winter settles in, the decision of where to go was unusually difficult and it wasn't until late friday night that we decided to hit the Sevier River. 

There's always a little trepidation when fishing with someone new, especially when they happen to be family, but I felt little of that with Court. From the moment we were out of the car it was obvious he knew what he was doing, and from there on it was just fishing as usual.

First fish of the day, and first fish on Risen Fly's ITB Rod

We found the fish ready and willing to eat gray scuds early, but only in the deeper runs. There are several reds throughout the stream that we were sure to avoid stepping on, but all of these were devoid of fish in the morning.

Cool shot of the beautiful Marysvale canyon

 We slid into a bit of a lull around midmorning, but some adjustments and a red midge pattern pulled us out of it.

Court from Zip Dog Fly Fishing with one of his many

Workin' it

This guy had a chunk missing, must've been a feisty spawn

 The fishing and the company were only out-shined by this great looking canyon, and I couldn't help but keep looking up.

The pics don't do it justice

 We left with some great memories made and even managed to get back to our family shindig just in time. Hope you can get out and enjoy the water.

My best brown of the day

Undoing

So, I broke my 4wt over the weekend, 'cause I'm smart like that. Luckily, I had an extra tip section that I could wrap, but I'd need to reuse the guides and tiptop. So, I broke down the old rod section with some heat and a razor blade to salvage the hardware I needed. After some quick work with the thread, I was epoxying my wraps and getting excited for this weekend. 

I think this makes me look a little crazy

Sometimes I think the best part of wrapping rods, and tying flies, is the anticipation to put them to good use (whether they're for me or someone else). Hope you can get out and enjoy the water.

What you can get.

The work week

Earlier in the week I was able to get out and fish a small pond near my work. It's good to live and work here.

This fish looks better when you
realize it's 5min. from work.

And there are other perks...

This weekend

Anytime you get to go fishing to a new place, it's going to be a fun day. When the guy that you're going with asks that you wear camouflage...well, it makes it a bit more intriguing. 

But lets back up to how this all came about. Just over a year ago I was talking to a friend of mine about a certain pond that he knew of where some large trout lived. No particulars were given, and it was understood that this was his honey hole. Fine. Really, not a big deal. We all have those places that we don't want to give up for one reason or another. 

Anyway, a few weeks ago we got to talking about what we've been up to and I told him about the Cutthroat lake I'd found. I hesitated. Then I told him where it was. Just like that. He returned the favor and gave me directions to his pond. Then yesterday we decided to head there to do some fishing together. 

I honestly figured the camouflage thing to be overkill, but I did it anyway. When someone says to wear camouflage  you just do it. Then we got there and started seeing the fish, and they saw us, then I believed. I tried everything but couldn't seem to buy a fish. I had strikes, and was seeing fish, but I just couldn't seem to put it all together. Breaking my rod was just adding injury to insult, but that was the kind of day it was.

I hate it when this happens

My buddy had his best day yet at this pond, landing three. None of them were the monsters he described, but I saw enough to make me want to go back. 

After our patience ran out, we hit a small stream where we caught several on dries till dark. Sometimes you just gotta take what you can get.

**Remember to sign up for the giveaway on our Facebook page!**

Something else to be thankful for

Time to do another giveaway! We've got a sweet Risen FlySLIM fly box with two dozen flies and three hand tied yarn indicators. 

Let's keep it simple, just head over and like the Kidder Fishing Facebook page, then like and comment on this pic. 

We'll pick our winner on 11/20/13 at 6:00pm. Please help get the word out by sharing this post!

**This promotion does not have a connection with Facebook in any way and is not sponsored, supported or organized by Facebook. Giveaway is open to all U.S. residents.**

Earning It

With the weather warming back up this week I was hoping to head out Friday to do a little exploring. Too bad the wife had a pretty long to-do list waiting for me. So, after trying to get all the stuff around the house done Friday, Saturday was cleared for my little expedition.

I've heard of a certain lake, in a certain area of the state that may, or may not, have some quality Brook and Cutthroat Trout in it. Of course I ascertained this from reading between the lines. The standard stories of a hard to find unmarked trail that was regularly patrolled by bears seemed unlikely, so I was set for the attempt. Unfortunately, the trail really was tough to find, but I knew roughly where the lake was and so bushwacked my way in, remarkably cutting the trail after only a short while.

Coming off my elk hunting trips earlier in the month, I couldn't help but notice how much elk sign there was. Maybe next year I'll try hunting around here...

One of many cans that I collected throughout the day. This one, however, was full.

A great site after a hike.

As I worked my way around the lake I noticed some brown box-elder-ish bugs that happened to be falling into the water. Too bad I don't have a pattern, 'cause the fish seemed to like them.

After struggling to catch a couple of small cutts, I hooked into a much larger fish that promptly took a lot of line very quickly and broke me off. Thinking it was to be my only opportunity of the day I was pretty pissed. But quickly afterwards I had another take from a quality fish that came unbuttoned much too quickly. Feelings of inadequacy soon subsided once I had this guy in hand.

After that the fish began to rise more regularly and I caught several before deciding that it was past time for me to try and find my way out. Luckily I hustled, and arrived back at the truck just before dark.

 I set out looking for Brookies and all I found were Cutts. But somehow I don't really feel like I failed.  Hopefully you can get out and enjoy the water.

Back to fishing!

Finally, I was able to clear a day to hit the stream. Woke up with high expectations and way too many things to get ready. After about forty frantic minutes of trying to remember everything I was out the door (for reals this time) and headed to one of my favorite streams. Surprisingly it wasn't too cold upon arrival, and I could go without my winter coat.

It's nice up here

Didn't take long for me to find a chunky little bow with my Orange & Black streamer.

First fish of the day always deserves to be included

Making my way downstream I noticed how low the water was, and with the heavy vegetation in the stream-bed, I was in for a difficult day. Oh well, the fishing is always good even if the catching isn't what we dreamt of. 

It looks like I'm squeezing him, but I promise I'm not

After struggling out a few fish here and there on various nymphs, I made my way up to what is usually one of the better pools of this stream. Blue Winged Olives were providing some proof of life and I was soon into some dry fly action. 

Caught a couple of Tiger trout today, though
this was definitely the best looking one

Falling temperatures and a stiff breeze put an end to the topwater action. So I decided to end my day just like I'd started it, throwing streamers. 

Really pretty colors. Nice cut on the tail and extra
 long bottom lip.  A very unique fish

On went an Olive & White streamer I tied up a while ago and it was lights out till the light left the water.

Still trying to get a good underwater pic

Something definitely happened to his
eye, though he seemed to find my fly alright

Second to last fish of the day, a very dark Brown Trout

 Felt great to get out and fish! Caught Rainbows, Browns, Cutthroat and Tiger Trout on a mixture of Streamers, Nymphs and Dry Flies. I don't know that this will hold me over for too long though, I can't wait to get back at it. Hopefully you can get out and enjoy the water.

I think this was a mink, he decided I was too
close right before I could get the picture taken