Secrets of Fly Fishing the Lowly Carp

Webmaster's Note: The following is a guest post from Rich Stuber, the founder of Big Sky Inflatables, home of Water Master Rafts. Water Master has been used by anglers and hunters all over the world for over fifteen years, including Dave Whitlock, one of fly fishing’s greatest innovators.

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It was a warm, really pleasant day on the Dream Stream (the South Platte River) near Lake George, Colorado. Trout were hitting well on San Juan worms and nymphs, and even though the water was a bit murky, we had been catching some nice browns and rainbows. A single prince nymph under an indicator had been working well, and as the setup rounded a bend into dead water, the indicator took a dive. Raising the rod to set the hook met solid resistance so much so that it seemed as if it was hung on submerged structure. Just as quickly, the line started screaming off my reel, downstream, and the fight was on. A chase along the river bank ensued, as the 6X tippet on my line wouldn’t hold for long. After a strong fight, the fish rolled the surface and revealed the bright gold scales of a five pound common carp. This was no disappointment, as any fiver on a fly rod is a treat. The "freshwater redfish" as many call carp, is the newest and maybe the most challenging target for many anglers today.

There are five species of carp that we see in the U.S.

1. Grass Carp, up to 60” long, 99lbs., feed on aquatic plants
2. Big Head Carp, up to 60” long, up to 110lbs., feed on zooplankton
3. Black Carp, up to 48” long, up to 78lbs., feed on snails, mussels, invertebrates
4. Silver Carp, up to 40” long, up to 110lbs., feed on photo plankton
5. Common Carp, up to 40” long, up to 100lbs., feed on water plants, crustaceans, crawfish, benthic worms, scuds, san juans, snails, clams

There are some variants such as the Mirror Carp, with larger scales, varied colors and placement; and the Leather Carp, with no scales, except some near the dorsal fin.

Typical targets in fly fishing are common carp and grass carp. The habitat of carp is varied and they are found in a wide variety of waters all across the United States. Most typically, they’ll be found on flat areas, such as in Lake Michigan, in slow and slack water in creeks, streams and rivers, and in just about any lake you come across.

Fly anglers typically look for carp along the edges in shallow water, because fishing for carp is mostly a sight-fishing event. It can be very difficult to place a fly in the right place to be taken if you cannot see the fish, and the take itself is hard to detect without seeing it happen. That doesn’t mean that a carp won’t slam a fly, because sometimes they will.

Depending on the food source they have, their eating habits will differ-sucking in clams on the bottom, eating nymphs in the water column as they swim along, chasing bait fish in the shallows, or rising to slurp in a floating mulberry or dead insect on the surface. When feeding, they’ll swim along, looking side-to-side, searching or be head-down, tail up, eating from the bottom (tailing).

Gear for Carpin’

• Carp are strong and large, usually weighing five pounds or more, so a strong rod is necessary. A 6-8 weight rod is recommended, and 9’ works well. Beside the strength of the fish, one needs the ability to fling weighted flies into the wind on occasion.
• Nothing fancy on fly line, just match the line to the rod.
• A good reel, with capacity for backing is important, because even a ten pound carp can take you well into your backing, and make several runs.  They habitually bolt when you try to get them to the net, often for a fresh strong run.
• You’ll want strong leader, ten-pound test or better, and in most cases, monofilament is fine. You can use a redfish or bass tapered leader, 3X or stronger, for better turnover, but in most cases the mono is adequate. Whether to use nylon or fluorocarbon is your choice, the carp masters differ in their opinion of which is best.

Flies

Many carp anglers tie specialty flies for catching carp, imitating the food sources, such as the Hybrid Carp Fly or the Backstabber, popular mainstream carp flies. The reality is that much of the time you’ll catch carp doing the same thing you do with trout - match the hatch.

• Aquatic creatures-carp eat nymphs and pupa of mayflies, dragonflies, damsel flies and stoneflies, so flies you use to imitate those work
• Plant material-they like fluffy cottonseeds and love mulberries, so flies that look like those two foods work
• Introduced foods - if you fish an environment with human presence, carp will be eating things thrown into the water, and there are flies to imitate foods like bread, dog food, corn, etc.
• Try these: GR Hare’s Ears, dragonfly nymphs, scuds, leeches, san juan worms, crawfish, woolly buggers, Carp Boobies, Bristle Leeches
• Some popular concepts: weighted flies that sink, hook point up, flies with legs that stir up mud or silt
• Tips: clear water - smaller flies; murky water- larger, darker flies

Methods

• GOOD - indicator rig dead drifting the fly just above the bottom, slowly stripped (no wake on the indicator).  This method good for murky water where sight fishing is difficult.
• BETTER - drag and drop, casting a two-fly rig beyond the fish, dragging the setup across the surface until the flies are on either side of the carp’s head, then allowing the flies to drop to the bottom.
• BEST - drop the fly one to two feet directly in front of the feeding carp, and watch for the take, when the carp sucks in the fly.
• Strip set is always best, as it is easy to pull the fly out of the carp’s mouth if you trout set by lifting the rod tip.

Tips

• Rub your fly with mud, they have a keen sense of smell.
• Study the water, don’t just start throwing flies - sight fishing to specific carp is most productive.
• Carp like stable weather patterns.
• Watch for tailing, or puffs of mud.
• If you miss a take, let the fly drop, don’t give up.
• Look for tilted fish.  When they are cruising level, they’re not eating.
• Try bright flies, carp are curious and will pick up bright objects.
• It’s ok to let your fly ‘sploosh’ on the water, it gets their attention.
• Be stealthy, carp are nervous fish, easy to spook.
• Cast in front of fish, not over them, they ‘line’ easily.
• If you find carp, but they’re not feeding, look for some that are.

The next time you want some excitement, and want to catch a big fish on a fly rod, consider looking for carp. You will be surprised how many bodies of water they inhabit in your area. You may have to do some searching to find them, but the reward of a 7-10 pound hard-fighting fish on the fly rod is worth every step you take. Go carpin’!

If you would like to learn more about fly fishing for carp be sure to check out these podcasts Cruising for Carp and Tactics for Monster Carp.

Fly Fishing Rendezvous

Where: Jefferson County Fairgrounds – Golden, CO When: May 20-21 8:30-5pm

Cost: $8 in Advance, $10 at the door. Scouts in uniform and kids under 12 are free. Use the code "CTU" when purchasing your ticket for a discount!

Website: www.flyfishingrendezvous.com

If you want to start thinking like a fish and fishing like a pro, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous happening May 20-21 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden Colorado is a must visit event!  There will be more than 30 hours of classes and clinics from the region’s best instructors, authors and fly tyers, including Phil Iwane and Rick Tackahashi.

You can check out the full vendor and class line-up and purchase your tickets online at: www.flyfishingrendezvous.com.

The Fly Fishing Rendezvous has partnered with Colorado Trout Unlimited and Project Healing Waters to highlight and support the vital work they are doing in conservation and support of our country’s veterans.  In addition to raffles and silent auctions held at the event that support both of these groups, 10% of the admission fees go to support Colorado Trout Unlimited, and we encourage every angler to join TU and Project Healing Waters on mission in the conservation of our waters and support of the troops. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

As much as any of us would love to have a stretch of river all to ourselves, an isolated fishing hole where big trout eagerly rise to our dry flies, and the lack of cell phone reception gives us a few hours respite from the demands of life, fly fishing at its core is a social sport.   For most of us, it was under the guiding hand of a parent, grandfather, or friend that we tied on our first fly, struggled through the basics of casting, and eventually netted our first trout.  There is a unique joy in sharing the water with family and friends, seeing the passion for fly fishing awaken in a new angler, and the excitement of working out a difficult drift with your fishing buddies until one of you finally catch that elusive trophy brown that has evaded you the past several hours.

Born from a passion to make the sport of fly fishing accessible to all, and to equip Rocky Mountain anglers with the knowledge and gear needed to experience greater success on the water, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous has become the fastest growing and most eagerly anticipated fly fishing show in the Rockies.  Featuring only the region’s best fly fishing companies, fly tyers, authors, and guides, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous focuses exclusively on local waters and local companies, and equips anglers with local knowledge for success on our waters.  With its emphasis on educating anglers, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous has broken the mold of other fly fishing shows by giving participants access to more than 30 hours of classes with fly fishing’s best recognized authors, fly tyers, casting instructors, and fly fishing geeks.  The topics of these classes are as diverse as the waters of our region: How to Fish Colorado’s Technical Tailwaters, How to Match the Hatch and Hack Hatch Charts, How to Sight Fish Trophy Trout on the Taylor River, as well as fly tying demonstrations with the industry’s best tyers.  In addition to accessing an impressive line-up of classes, participants of the rendezvous will have the ability to interact with and buy gear or trips from more than 30 Rocky Mountain fly fishing companies.   Whether it’s a new fly reel from Ross, waders from Simms, $10 dozens on flies from Ascent Fly Fishing, or a guided trip on private water, there will be something for every fly fisher at this show!

TU helps protect Colorado River Gold Medal stretch

Not all of Trout Unlimited's efforts are loud and publicized. In fact, some are quiet and calculated. There are many TU efforts that don’t generate action alerts or require high level discussions with politicians. Recently, TU's work to protect the Gold Medal Water section of the upper Colorado River from 20 oil and gas leases was successful by inserting the voice of sportsmen into the BLM’s oil and gas lease sale process. “The process of commenting on these federal land actions can feel bureaucratic and can be tedious,” said Tyler Baskfield, sportsmen coordinator for Colorado who drafted comments for TU pertaining to the May 2017 Oil and Gas Lease Sale. “But it is critical that we address federal land actions from a sportsmen’s perspective. These leases in Grand County near the Colorado River are a perfect example of what TU staff can accomplish by participating in the process and providing accurate and consistent information to federal agencies.”

The parcels had originally been nominated for the lease sale by the oil and gas industry, but the BLM removed the 20 parcels totaling 27,529 acres in Grand County from the upcoming lease sale citing “concerns raised by Grand County and other stakeholders about offering these parcels at this time,” said acting Deputy State Director for Energy Lands and Minerals, Kent Walter. “We want to be sure they are still appropriate for leasing.”

TU staff along with Grand County and a number of environmental organizations discouraged the leasing of these parcels that were close to both the Colorado River and Rocky Mountain National Park. These areas also contained cutthroat trout habitat. TU and partners commented on the potential impact to the wildlife resources and recreation in the area to the BLM throughout the NEPA process. The other organizations who commented on these potential leases played a large role in the removal of these parcels, but the sportsmen’s perspective that TU provides seemed to be especially influential in many of these efforts.

“TU’s members should feel great about the impact their contribution has to the places that sportsmen are passionate about,” said Baskfield. “It takes several staff members to participate in just one of these efforts. The staff who work on these comments and follow these processes are incredibly passionate, intelligent, and thorough when it comes to producing the desired outcome for the resource. It isn’t the most visible part of the work that we do, but it is rewarding to work with all of those talented staff members and get a win.”

Behind the Fin: Greg Pohlman

How long have you been a TU member? I have been a TU member for 10 to 15 years or more and a local TU chapter board member since 2014.

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I became a TU member to stay current on the issues and challenges that we face at our local chapter level and on our local waters as well as regionally (western states).

What made you want to become involved with TU?

I wanted to get involved with a good cause and volunteer my time. I chose this opportunity since I enjoy fly fishing and would like to see our rivers and water systems protected for future generations.

What is your favorite activity or project that you have done with TU?

We have done several activities at our local chapter level since my short involvement. Projects include river restoration, replanting of vegetation, supporting youth in fly fishing activities, youth fly fishing camps, etc. I think one of the most important activities that our chapter has supported is youth education and river conservation, fly fishing and fly tying. I helped recruit Bennett Colvin, who is a middle school teacher with years of fly fishing experience and assisting youth in the program. He has done a tremendous job here locally as our chapter's Youth Coordinator. He has organized week-long youth fly fishing conversation and education camps here locally. He has a strong following of middle school students that show up to tie flies in the morning before school starts. Bennett is really our “Shining Star”.

I know you won’t tell me your top spot, so what is your second favorite fishing spot or favorite fishing story?

One of my favorite local areas to fish is on the Yampa River just south of town (Steamboat Springs). In 2002, Our chapter along with the Yampa Valley Stream Improvement Charitable Trust and the Colorado Division of Wildlife partnered on a project to clean up an areas south of town now called the Chuck Lewis SWA. This section of river was a part of a ranch that the ranch owners had placed old cars along the bank for erosion control. Needless to say, a lot of work from many folks went into clearing the old cars, restructuring and revegetating the river banks to improve the health of the river. This river section is now a favorite of many locals and out of town guests.

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

I would like to think that my being involved in our chapters activities is making a difference. I hope that my small part supporting our chapter will continue a tradition of common love for our river system as well as promote continued preservation of rivers, streams and lakes around Steamboat Springs.

What else do you do in your spare time or for work?

My occupation is that of a Home Inspector, Energy Auditor, and most recently I have become interested in aerial photography flying drones. I enjoy spending time with my family outdoors fly fishing, camping, rafting, motorcycle riding (dirt & touring). I have two sons who are both Eagle Scouts. My oldest (21 yrs) is in the Army National Guard and a local firefighter/EMT. My youngest is a junior in high school with plans to go to college after graduating. My lovely wife of 28 years is an accountant with Routt County.

TU hails Long Draw settlement and native trout benefits

Agreement includes largest native trout restoration in Colorado history

The U.S. Forest Service this week finalized a litigation settlement that will allow the Water Supply and Storage Company, a northern Colorado ditch company, to continue to use Long Draw Reservoir on the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests, and will launch a large-scale native trout restoration program for the Cache la Poudre river headwaters within the Forests, including the Neota and Comanche Peaks Wilderness Areas, as well as in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Completion of all project elements is expected to take more than 10 years, but when completed will provide for a connected “metapopulation” of trout across the watershed – the largest such restored native trout habitat in Colorado. The native trout restoration project will span more than 40 miles of connected river and multiple lakes, as well as Long Draw Reservoir itself. To protect the watershed from invasion by non-native species, fish barriers will be established on the Grand Ditch and on the mainstem Cache la Poudre below its confluence with La Poudre Pass Creek. Within the watershed, temporary barriers will also be installed to enable fishery biologists to complete restoration of native trout one section of the basin at a time.  After installing temporary barriers, biologists will remove non-native fish from the upstream areas. Once the areas are confirmed to be free of non-native trout, they will be re-stocked with native greenback cutthroat trout. Work will be done in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain National Park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Colorado Trout Unlimited.

Under the settlement, a trust will be established with $1.25 million from the Water Supply and Storage Company for purposes of funding these restoration activities. Colorado Trout Unlimited will serve as the Trustee, while the U.S. Forest Service will be the lead agency for project implementation.

David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited, issued the following statement:

“The settlement finalized today is a great example of how open dialogue and a spirit of cooperation can yield conservation solutions. After years of litigation and debate, the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Water Supply and Storage Company, and Trout Unlimited have agreed to launch a collaborative restoration project for Colorado’s state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout, which will be the largest native trout restoration effort in Colorado history.

“Over the next decade, we will be restoring a true Colorado native to the Cache la Poudre headwaters in spectacular alpine wilderness within both Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. The watershed will be a stronghold for native trout, helping secure this piece of Colorado’s natural heritage for generations to come.

“We are pleased that settlement efforts enabled all the parties to find a solution for the area’s natural resources that meets federal stewardship responsibilities, respects the operating needs and challenges of long-standing water users, and achieves meaningful benefits for Colorado’s environment and the millions of residents of and visitors to our state who enjoy it.”

Keith Amen, president of the Water Supply and Storage Company said:

“We are pleased to have concluded the terms necessary for us to obtain a thirty year easement agreement for the continued operation of Long Draw Reservoir, a very valuable resource that contributes a great deal to the local, state and national economies.”

Voices from the River: What makes a 'trophy?'

by Kirk Deeter, editor of TROUT Magazine and the vice president of Trout Media for Trout Unlimited I love catching big fish. How can you not? After all, size is the benchmark that is ingrained to matter most to many anglers. My mother doesn't fish much, but when I call her to say I spent the day fishing, she always asks: "Did you catch any?" Question two… "How big?"

The concept of "trophy fish" is usually about size too. I'm starting to rethink that a bit, though. If you go fish in a place where the fish are stocked, and some of the trout are 20 inches long when they are put in the water to begin with, well, isn't that more like a "participation trophy?"

I'm a bit more old-school, in that I think a trophy should be a reward for lots of hard effort and good performance. I love it when people catch big Michigan brown trout at night… you know, this fish you think is in the bottom of that perfect run, but you've never been able to get it to eat. Sometimes it takes a better angler than me to revive my faith.

A small, native cutthroat is also a good "trophy" in my mind, especially when I have to walk a few miles to find them (though I admit I don't have to make any miracle casts to catch them). They also tend to represent the effort of a lot of people who work hard to keep them around.

We spend a lot of time thinking about the covers for Trout magazine. Thanks, by the way, to those who wrote to say they like the current one, featuring a Clark Fork Cutbow, by Lon Lauber. Erin Block picked that one.  I think one of my favorite covers is the "State of the Trout" issue we did a couple years ago featuring a small cutthroat. We might be the only "fishy" magazine to run a 3-inch fish on its cover. I wonder if we could pull that off again...

Support Sustainable Funding for Colorado's Fish and Wildlife

The Colorado General Assembly is taking up legislation – HB 17-1321 – to authorize the Parks and Wildlife Commission to have the power to set its own fee rates, up to a specified cap, instead of the Colorado Legislature setting all fees. This action would enable them to increase fishing and hunting license fees in order to provide needed funds to maintain fish and wildlife management and to meet growing demands for habitat conservation and for hunting and fishing access. While the bill provides a needed financial boost to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), it does include limitations on using these funds for fee title land and water purchases – limiting an important tool in CPW’s tool box for protecting habitat, improving stream flows, and securing access. You can help by contacting your state Representative – today – and letting them know that you support increasing CPW funding, and that you believe CPW should retain authority to purchase land and water to benefit fish and wildlife.  The most effective way to make your voice heard it to call your Representative directly – using your address, you can look up your Representative and their contact information here.  Or you can quickly comment using our email template by clicking here. 

Colorado TU’s Board of Directors has voted to support HB 1321.  Since 2009, CPW has cut or defunded fifty staff positions and sliced $40 million from the wildlife budget. Without new revenue, more painful cuts are inevitable.This bill gives the Parks and Wildlife Commission authority to set fees, within a cap set at a 50% increase from current levels.  Importantly, it allows future license fees to be adjusted gradually over time to keep up with inflation rather than needing the legislature to approve larger increases every few years. The bill would also allow out-of-state fishing license fees for Colorado to be increased to bring Colorado’s pricing in line with peer states like Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. A senior fishing license (not more than half the regular price) would also be re-instituted.  The bill also would add a new sticker and fee program for boats, to help finance inspections for aquatic nuisance species.  You can read more about the bill here.

While the bill provides much-needed financial support for CPW, it also includes language limiting the agency’s purchase of fee title land and water. While such permanent purchases of land and water are not frequent, they are important – for example for expanding or establishing new state parks, obtaining water rights to benefit fisheries, or protecting key wildlife habitat if a landowner wishes to sell their property rather than putting under conservation easement.

Please tell your Representative to support HB 1321’s enhanced funding for CPW, and also to support CPW’s ability to use purchase land and water to benefit fish, wildlife and recreation in Colorado.

Antiquities Act and why should outdoorsmen care?

By Corey Fisher, Pulib Lands Policy Director What are national monuments and why should hunters and anglers care?

National monuments and the Antiquities Act have been in the news lately, with members of Congress pushing the Trump Administration to repeal some national monuments, and a renewed call in the halls of Congress to dismantle the act.

These discussions are usually somewhat abstract and exactly what a national monument is leaves many of us scratching our heads. But for sportsmen and women, there are a few things to know about national monuments and the act used to establish them:

1. National monuments are created when a presidential issues a proclamation designating a national monument out of existing public lands. Signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, sixteen U.S. presidents – eight Democrats and eight Republicans – have used the Antiquities Act to protect some of the nation’s best public land hunting and fishing opportunities. National monuments are not a “land grab” as some opponents erroneously claim; these lands are already owned American public.

2. The Antiquities Act helps keep our public land like it is, preventing changes that would negatively impact our hunting and fishing heritage. Importantly, each proclamation designating a national monument is different, and each one identifies the values that are to be protected for that specific area, including fish, wildlife, and hunting and angling. For instance, the 2015 proclamation designating Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in California listed trout, salmon, steelhead, elk and mule deer as monument features and noted that the area is important for “recreation opportunities, including hunting, fishing”. In doing so, by law these values will be conserved.

3. National Monuments protect quality hunting and fishing opportunities on public lands. Many monuments allow traditional uses to continue, including hunting and fishing; here’s a list. In short, uses that were allowed before a monument is created are typically allowed after a monument is created, while future activities would degrade fish and wildlife habitat – such as mining or oil and gas development – are not allowed except where there are already valid existing rights.

4. The Antiquities Act is needed more today than ever. In today’s Congress, even widely supported, bi-partisan proposals can get wrapped up in unrelated political fights, but the Antiquities Act offers a path forward to see conservation initiatives through when Congress won’t act. For instance, Browns Canyon National Monuments in Colorado was designated in 2015 after over two decades of unsuccessful legislative proposals from both Republican and Democratic members of Colorado’s Congressional delegation. If the authority for a president to designate a monument were taken away, legislation to conserve Browns’ Canyon would still be languishing in Congress.

5. In the West, national monuments are usually managed by a multiple use public land management agency, commonly the Forest Service or BLM. A designation typically doesn’t change who manages public lands, only what features will be conserved, such as fish and wildlife habitat. Importantly, modern monument proclamations explicitly state that fish and wildlife management authority will be retained by fish and wildlife management agencies, just as it was prior to designation.

6. Monuments ensure the public has a voice in the management of their public lands. When developing a management plan, agencies are required to involve the public, including consultation with tribal, state, and local governments. The process for developing monument management plans is the same process used to create management plans for other public lands, with public input at the beginning of the process and a draft plan that is made available for review and comment before a final decision is made.

7. Today, Congress is trying to dismantle this important tool. Congress has shown a renewed interest in repealing the act outright, or creating hurdles to monument designation that would render the act useless. One such bill in the Senate, S. 437, places a higher bar for the approval of monuments than Wilderness, even though national monuments are a far less restrictive designation.

8. You can help. Theodore Roosevelt was the father of the Antiquities Act and it is critical that hunters and anglers speak up in support of this important tool for conservation – take action today and tell Congress don’t mess with Teddy’s law.

Voices from the River: Tangled up in blue

By Randy Scholfield, TU communications director for the Southwest.  Is there anything worse than tangles? They happen so suddenly, and advance so diabolically, just when things seem to be going so right with our fishing day.

An all-too-common scenario: I come upon an inviting stretch of water, with a sudden rise or hatch breaking out all around me, and in my feverish haste to cast, I lurch the line back and forth and—in a microsecond!—my carefully crafted rig is reduced to a satanic web of entanglements that mock my visions of fly-fishing simplicity.

What too often follows, if I am alone, is a slow-building but unstoppable and obscenity-laced howl of rage and despair that issues from deep within my soul and carries far across the landscape with a force that I’m sure has unnerved nearby anglers and perhaps stampeded large ungulates.

Of course, my own foolish haste is to blame for many, if not most, of these technical and emotional breakdowns. Yes, it takes two to tangle.

The tangle is there to humble us and remind us that we’re fallible, hopeless creatures, filled with pride and all of those other deadly sins.

They remind us, too, of the primacy of patience in fishing.

The tangle is most often the result of an overpowered, rushed and graceless cast.

And the odds of Tanglepocalpyse increase in direct proportion to the number of flies you greedily string on your rig. I have spent long minutes slowly and painstakingly constructing a two- or (madness) three-fly rig, carefully trimming and testing all the knots, gazing lovingly upon my creation—only to snag it on an unseen overhead branch on the first cast and have it delivered back into my hand looking like a giant condor’s nest.

After the wave of self-loathing and disgust washes over me, there follows the requisite stage of forced calm and problem-solving.  Yes, you can do this. It’s not as bad as it looks, right? I begin unwrapping line, focused like a safecracker, waiting for just the right combination of moves to unlock the crazy mashup of hitches, bowlines, slippery eights and stemwinder wraps.

Usually, I make it worse.

I once asked a guide if there were some tricks or shortcuts he’d picked up to untangling leaders and rigs. He smiled grimly and said, “It’s just a matter of practice. After working with hundreds of them, you just get better at it. One thing—don’t keep moving your rod if a tangle has started—that just makes things worse.”

It’s like if you step on a landmine. Stop. Don’t move and you’ll be OK, at least until you move again.

I’ve found it sometimes helps if I cut off the trailing fly on a rig – this sometime gives the needed advantage to pull line through and make sense of things.

So how to avoid these messes in the first place?  As someone more skilled in tangling line than untangling it, I am probably not the person to consult.

But a few things have become clear to me: Slow down and don’t overpower or rush your cast and avoid tight loops with multi-fly rigs. Not prudent. Take your time and watch what you’re doing.

Sure, some tangles are unavoidable. Chaos, after all, is an immutable law of nature, hardwired into the structure of the cosmos.

Just remember there is always the nuclear nipper option. Give the tangle a few minutes, and if it doesn’t look good, for God’s sake give up and cut away and re-rig. Our fishing life is too short to be spent working on tangles.

Headwaters Chapter on Fraser Flats

On March 11, Colorado Headwaters Chapter President, Kirk Klancke, and chapter board member, Anna Drexler-Dreis, joined Good Morning Grand County to talk about water. Klancke was joined by Grand County Water and Sanitation District Manager, Bruce Hutchins, Klancke and Hutchins talk about the issues facing the water supply in Grand County and how the Learning by Doing initiative will help protect stream flows and temperatures of the Fraser River.

Klancke also speaks about the Fraser Flats River Enhancement project. Part of this project will include revegetation along the Fraser as well as stream channeling. Stream channeling will create a smaller river bed within the natural river bed to keep water consolidated during the low flow periods. This will keep the water moving faster, colder, and provide holding areas for trout.

Part of the project will also include a half mile of the river being open to the public for fishing. "We can improve the stream sections of the Fraser and its tributaries to the point where it will be healthier now than it was when I started fishing there 46 years ago," said Klancke.

Drexler-Dreis talked more about the Fraser Flats project, the first Learning by Doing project since its inception. The first step in the Fraser Flats project will entail planting willows along the Fraser River for just under a mile in an area that was heavily overgrazed. With willows in place, the river will experience more stable conditions and improve the stream banks to provide more trout habitat. Volunteers will help with the harvesting and planting of these willows.

The segments below were from the Good Morning Grand County episode on March 11, 2017. If you wish to view the whole episode, you can check out their YouTube channel!