Fishing blog: Tales of angling adventures from around the world
Welcome to our fish blog! Here you can read more sage advice from anglers around the world. This is the place for news, tips and non-fiction fish tales from mountain lakes to distant beaches. Please feel free to comment and join in on the conversations and share some fish tales of your own!
We finally got a chance to take a hike up to Dream Lake last Friday afternoon [7/18/2014]. There were still a few remnant snow drifts in the shady spots but the trail and shoreline were accessible. The greenback cutthroat trout in Dream can be really picky and they certainly were on Friday. We caught and released fish on grasshopper patterns, flying ants, parachute ants and tiny trico flies. It seemed word spread quickly among the greenbacks as to what patterns were not good to eat and after a few strikes each fly ceased to interest them. We managed about a dozen greenbacks released in about 4 hours that ran between 10” and 14”.
It is always fun to fish here for us due to the number of interested visitors. The greenback cutthroat trout here are easily seen in this crystal water and generate a lot of curiosity as to what trout are here and the techniques necessary to catch and release them. Of course, the greenbacks here exist as the only trout found in Dream Lake and are protected as a threatened species in the National Park. Catch and release fishing is allowed using barbless flies or lures only. Lures may have only one treble hook with the barbs mashed down. Generally though, greenbacks are insect eaters and lures would not be our first choice for imitating a natural food source. If you don’t want to use a fly rod, try a “fly and bubble” rig with your spinning rod. It is a very effective way to be fly fishing without a fly rod. This is a featured rigging in “Angler’s Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park”.
Check out 25 more of our favorite spots in Rocky Mountain National Park as we guide you to the best fishing in Colorado. This 60 page waterproof, pocket sized guide book is “Like Having a Professional Guide in Your Pocket”
Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park is more than just a fishing trip. A hike into one of these beautiful , crystal clear high mountain lakes surrounded by sheer granite cliffs and old growth spruce forest is just what most folks have in mind when they think of the best fishing in Colorado. As an added attraction, there were several elk [cows and calves] along the shoreline entertaining the folks.
Check out our book at https://www.anglerpocketguides.com/
Lake Estes has been through a lot recently. The flood filled many of the old channels near the inlet with sediment. The excavations this winter removed these sediments and re-channeled the flow from the Big Thompson River as it enters the lake. The power plant flows have been disrupted to keep the water in the canyon at a low level for the recovery effort there. Lake Estes, like many of the canyon rivers has evolved into an unfamiliar place worthy of exploring. So, we have been stalking trout around the inlet since our return to the Estes Park area.
Clear water is getting easier to find, particularly around the power plant and the inlet. The muddy flow coming in from the Fish Creek arm continues to discolor the rest of the lake. Though the evenings have been abnormally cool, there are a few rising fish along the shore feeding primarily on ants and midges. An olive wooly bugger will take larger rainbows and perch in the area where the flow slows after entering the lake. Wading out on the west peninsula will put you on a sand bar next to this deeper flow. Our friend Chris says the larger browns are feeding along the rocky shoreline east of Fisherman’s Nook though he was vague about his choice of flies there.
We all look forward to the melting snow and receding ice in the high lakes we love in Rocky Mountain National Park. Check out our detailed waterproof guide: “Angler’s Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park”. It is your guide to the best fishing in Colorado. If you order from the website we will make sure you get a signed copy from our second printing available now. Visit https://www.anglerpocketguides.com/ and take a look at our other new book “Angler’s Guide to Shore Fishing Southwest Florida-Longboat Key to Boca Grande”. Both books are now available from Amazon and as e-books for Kindle or Nook readers.
Here’s an image of a perch from Lake Estes on an olive wooly bugger. 
Many area anglers are probably wondering about the Big Thompson River above Lake Estes. This is the time of year when the rainbows in the lake move upstream to spawn. Though heavily impacted, the river above Lake Estes is once again attracting a good population of spawning rainbow trout. The best area, according to the knowledgeable folks at Kirk’s Fly Shop, is near the visitor center below the US36 Bridge. Water clarity can be an issue as work continues upstream in downtown Estes Park and the Fall River above town. Most construction slows down on the weekends so this might be a good time to drift a nymph along a seam in the current.
That said; please remember that these are spawning fish. They generally are larger, mature adults and have been through a lot since last fall. Land and release them quickly. If you want a picture, support them near the ventral fin to lift them from the water…or better yet, leave them in the water and tip them sideways for a great release image. Appreciate that you hold the future of the rainbow trout in this valley in your hands.
It is still early for trips to the high lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. As the spring runoff gets underway, the conditions in Rocky’s lakes and streams will improve as the fishing in the Estes valley suffers. Most of the waters in the park were not heavily impacted by the flood last fall and we have that to be thankful for and to look forward to. The best fishing in Colorado for now may be above Lake Estes in the Big Thompson River. For those interested in fishing Rocky Mountain National Park, check out our website https://www.anglerpocketguides.com/ . Our waterproof pocket guide to this area: “Angler’s Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park” is available there and at most fly shops, book stores, and accommodations in the Estes Park area. Get your copy today and start catching more fish in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park NOW!
Even after the cold snap here in Southwest Florida, the bass in this area continue to feast on frogs…even artificial ones. We usually rig these lures weedless with a wide gap 5/0 hook and fish these baits as surface lures by casting them onto the shoreline… [Yes, right up onto dry land] and then gently hop them off into the water. There are usually bass waiting for a frog to do something stupid like that. I retrieve them just under or on the surface with a twitch and glide motion like a frog actually swims. Try it you’ll like it!!
With the cooler temperatures though, we also find good action by casting out to deeper water and allowing the frog to sink all the way to the bottom. A small bullet weight ahead of the hook helps make this diving action more realistic. Once on the bottom, just give it really small twitches so it pokes along the bottom. Retrieve the frog like you are fishing for flounder.
Bass Love Frogs
Whether on top or on the bottom, give the bass a chance to get the frog in their mouth…usually a two count will get the job done. Then set the hook and hold on. Here’s an image of a nice one from a local pond.
We share more special riggings and tactics in our waterproof Florida fishing books that guide you to the best southwest Florida fishing spots. All are available at many fine outlets in this area and on Amazon, Kindle and on our website at: http://www.estesleather.com/
Here we go again!! On Saturday, February 15, 2014, we will be at the Englewood Dearborn Street Authors Fair. We will be signing our new book “Angler’s Guide to Shore Fishing Southwest Florida-Longboat Key to Boca Grande” and talking local fishing with all you anglers in the area.Stop by and see if we can recommend a lure or a new area for you to try. 
Last year we were surprised by the turnout for this event that showcases local authors and their work. We think this area has the best fishing in Florida. Our book features 30 of our favorite spots for southwest Florida fishing. These pocket guide books point visiting anglers to the best fishing here and the best fishing in Colorado. All the stuff you NEED to know from a fishing guide. Fish identification images and rigging detail drawings as well as USGS high altitude images show the angler channels, bars, and grass flats not visible from shore. See more on our website and Facebook pages at https://www.anglerpocketguides.com/