The club is open to all, but club events take place during the week and we meet at Chilson Senior Center in Loveland, CO. Our basic purpose is to fish, but we're easily distracted by the chance to work with youngsters or improve northern Colorado outdoor resources.
Or at least, that's what Rick Golz is calling himself these days on his Google Photos site, after scoring this classy trout at Carter Lake Thursday.
The big mama is believed to be one of a number of big brood fish rescued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife at the fish hatchery up Poudre Canyon in advance of the Cameron Peak fire. That black stuff on her is ash from the fire still floating on the surface of the lake.
Questions? Anyone hit the lake lately? Give me a call at 970-988-9174
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I knew we were in trouble this morning as I drove past Westerdoll Lake and watched a dozen geese standing on the middle of the pond. Then Walt called with the news that he'd spoken with a guy at the Walden Fly Shop, who reported temperatures hit 22 below last night and the Delaneys were about one-third iced over. Wind chill there hit about minus 45, which is kind of cold, even for Norm.
Colorado Highway 14 has reopened between north of Fort Collins and Walden. (We had planned to take the long way to Walden, through Laramie)
While fire activity in the immediate area has diminished, which allowed for the opening, CDOT crews will still need to clear some debris from the shoulders and do other road work to get the road ready for the winter snow season.
CDOT is strongly encouraging people NOT to be on the road unless necessary. All forest areas accessible from CO 14 are closed now due to the fire danger.
It's supposed to warm up a bit over the next few days; I'm thinking Rivers Edge should thaw out. And if we can get our float tubes out, there have to be some hungry fish waiting by the aerators. I can't believe I have spring fever already.
Let me know if you're interested. Bill
From The FishingWire, https://www.thefishingwire.com/features/c0796cb0-a861-40b5-8ee1-c4889e03b9ff
Recreationists of all experience levels should take water-safety precautions
WEST YELLOWSTONE – By the time Mark Bromley came to a stop, his strength had been almost entirely absorbed by the cold current pulling him downstream.
His waders were full of water. Fly fishing line was twisted and tangled around his body, and breathing was painful. All he could do was hold on to the root of an overhanging shrub while keeping his eyes, nose and mouth out of the water.
“I was just beat. Totally, totally beat,” Bromley recalled. “I couldn’t move.”
Such an outcome was not in the forecast for the day, which started out as an enjoyable fishing experience on the Madison River in July. Bromley, his nephew and his nephew’s wife were fishing at Raynold’s Pass Fishing Access Site, about 30 miles northwest of West Yellowstone. This was a favorite spot for Bromley’s family that they visited regularly.
Also at the site that day were two fisheries staff from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Dan Cook and Colin Dougherty were spraying weeds at Raynold’s Pass and had seen Bromley and his companions walk down to the river.
The three anglers decided to wade across a narrow channel to an island in the river. It was the kind of maneuver Bromley had done many times. With years of experience wade angling, kayaking, canoeing and working on the Columbia River, he was always cautious on the water, especially in rivers. So the group held hands and used wading staffs as they worked their way across.
Then in sequence, they each lost their footing and were overtaken by the swift-moving water. The group became spread out, and Bromley’s companions eventually recovered themselves along the bank. By then, however, Bromley was out of sight.
Cook and Dougherty were working close to the riverbank when they heard shouting. From a distance, they could see Bromley’s nephew getting out of the water and gesturing downstream. Cook and Dougherty dropped their equipment and ran to look for whoever else was still in trouble.
The farther the current carried Bromley, the more his situation worsened. He tried to hold on to two fly rods as he drifted, but that quickly became unmanageable as he got tied up in fly line, a hook got lodged in his finger and the tether of his fishing net wrapped around his neck, choking him as his head bobbed in and out of the water.
“I didn’t have control of anything, frankly,” Bromley said. “Because I was wearing a wading belt, my waders were initially full of air. So my feet were up, and my head was down. I was trying to keep my head above water and get a breath here and there, but mostly I was underwater.”
Bromley exhausted himself trying to regain control and get to shore. Eventually he floated into a shallow area of the river near the bank and grabbed hold of an overhanging shrub, almost 500 yards from where he fell in.
Cook and Dougherty found him there, and together, they dragged him out of the water. They helped remove Bromley’s waders, which, by then, were full of water. They removed the fly line tangled with pieces of broken fly rod. Bromley was conscious, but in pain.
Dougherty had previous medical training from military service, and after an initial assessment, he and Cook decided to call an ambulance. Cook walked up the hill to make the call and bring medical responders in to where Bromley was waiting with Dougherty. Cook and Dougherty also cared for Bromley’s two family members, who were shaken by the ordeal.
“Dan and Colin saved all three of us. They saved me directly. Clearly, I could have drowned,” Bromley said. “They went above and beyond. I can’t thank them enough.”
After spending the night in Madison Valley Medical Center in Ennis, Bromley was released and able to continue fishing on the Madison River with his family before traveling home.
Reflecting on the experience, Cook and Dougherty said they feel fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time, and that other factors contributed to the successful rescue.
“We were lucky that our equipment was shut off and we were able to hear them,” Cook said. “We were right on the bank, we knew they were there, and we were able to get cell service.”
“You wonder, ‘What could I have done differently?’” Dougherty said. “I can think of 100 things. But Dan and I work well together. We both had some experience that helped, and it worked out.”
‘A real wake-up call’
The Madison River sees hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, many of whom are experienced anglers and boaters. What this incident illustrates, however, is that any waterbody can be dangerous, and recreationists of all experience levels should take extra precautions to increase their chances of survival in the event of an accident.
Bromley hopes his encounter will help people recognize the inherent dangers that come with recreating on lakes and rivers.
“It makes you realize how quickly things could change from a relatively innocent mistake, how powerful the river is and how quickly it can get that bad,” Bromley said. “To find myself in that situation was a real wake-up call.”
However you spend time on Montana’s waters, here are some steps to help you be safe and prepared:
For more information about being safe on the water, please visit fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/boating.
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/6964/58442/
Just saw this on inciweb. Note, though, that they’re urging everyone to not use it unless really necessary.
Okay, so it was 27 degrees when Jim Clune, Wayne Baranczki and I hit Dragonfly Saturday morning, and 37 when we headed for hot coffee. And the water is covered in a nasty black ash. Caught a few trout tho. Who wants to go tomorrow? I’ll sit that one out.
I know it's the weekend. But the darned kids and other homebound wretches we've shared the water with since March are probably going to be inside playing Tik Tok.
Despite an incredible amount of fishing pressure this spring, summer and fall, the fishing has generally held up pretty well at River's Edge. Even so, I haven't seen a trout there all fall. With the coming of cold, and the addition of timely stocking by our friends with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, that should change abruptly Saturday if we just get out and fish.
Timing is critical, Fellow Anglers. The temperature is only supposed to hit 24 degrees today, 21 on Sunday. But it'll be a balmy 35 degrees by 10 a.m. Saturday, and 54 by 2 o'clock, made even more balmy with winds pushing no more than 5 or 10 mph.
So unless we wake up to another ashfall, or Karol and Arnie get evacuated again, let's meet about 10 a.m. at Dragonfly, on the northeast corner by the little dock. I'll be easy to spot: the handsome gray-haired guy in a Loveland Fishing Club hat holding a bag of Gulp Minnows.
Know where we're going? River's Edge can be reached on the south side of First Street in Loveland, just east of Taft. Be there or naively wait until the high tops out at 12 degrees Monday... As they say on Game of Thrones, "Winter Is Coming."
Nebraska truly is a state where east meets west and north meets south. Our state has a great diversity of geography, climate, habitats, wildlife and fish. As a result, Nebraska anglers are blessed with opportunities to fish for a variety of warm-water, cool-water and cold-water fish including several species of trout.
Although trout may not be native to Nebraska, they can be found in stocked waters across the state during the fall, winter, and spring. Furthermore, Nebraska contains cold-water habitats mostly in northern and western regions of the state that will support trout year-round.
Adventurous anglers can prospect those cold-water rivers, streams, and lakes, many in the most picturesque parts of Nebraska, in pursuit of brook, brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout.
To encourage exploration of Nebraska’s cold-water fisheries and recognize achievement, anglers can now pursue a Nebraska Trout Slam.
To achieve a Trout Slam, anglers must catch, photograph, release if wished and submit a photo of the four trout species found in Nebraska — brook, brown, rainbow and cutthroat.
Each time you catch a fish on your way to a Trout Slam, let us know by filling out the form at the link above, and be sure to attach a photo of your catch, too. When you have caught your last fish, check “yes” next to the box indicating that you have completed your slam. Those who complete the slam will receive a certificate and pin.
View a detailed map of waters containing trout in Nebraska, download guides and other information or read our fishing blog to help you plan your trout fishing trip.
View a list of those who have completed the Trout Slam so far.
LARAMIE - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has reopened Lake Hattie to watercraft use effective immediately. The temporary restricted watercraft access was necessary to allow specialized aircraft to collect water from the lake to help with the Mullen Fire suppression efforts.
So Arnie and Karol were forced to evacuate Friday under attack from the historic Cameron Peak wildfire. Tom and Sheila were thinking of making a run for it, too, and packing a few things just in case. Meanwhile, the corona virus was beginning a frightening second run through the local citizenry, the drought was getting worse and, despite my earnest prayers, the election was still nearly three agonizing weeks away.
Under such bleak, Apocalyptic conditions, a guy has few alternatives. Fortunately one is to say "the hell with it," and go fishing. So this morning I simply had to scout around for one of the few bodies of local water that isn't either dried up or under mandatory evacuation orders, and get to fishing before the winds picked back up. Kinda wished I'd listen to those forecasts, though.
Despite other, more questionable decisions I made this morning, after arriving at a favorite fishing hole I craftily kicked the belly boat to the upwind, west end of the pond. This would make the inevitable journey back to my takeout point a couple hours later a bit more survivable as the wind started gusting toward 50 mph.
Though I am usually too modest to tell you how well I did on the water, I have to say that, despite questionable conditions, the fishing on this late October morning was superb. Even on a usually busy pandemic Saturday, I had the pond to myself and schools of gullible, plump crappie and bluegill. By late morning, though, as hurricane-like winds began to tear back through peaceful Loveland, I began to feel like an oblivious angler in Pompei before the Mount Vesuvius eruption.
Only one thing marred the morning (unless you want to consider those gale-force winds, turd brown air reminiscent of the Dust Bowl, and increasingly ominous dark smoke from the west.): the surface of the pond was choked with ugly chunks of black ash from this historic Colorado wildfire. Before releasing each graceful fish back into that nasty water, I literally had to wash the gunk off their scaly little bodies.
Still, eventually the wind pushed me right back to where I had begun the morning, and I didn't even fall down taking off my fins. Another good, eventful day to be alive in the Rocky Mountain West.
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Starting Saturday, Oct. 3, they’re restricting fishing on lake John to shore fishing; ie, no boats. Using lake water to fight the Mullen fire. I’m kinda dreading to see how our high country is faring these days...
Most of these are about 13 inches
This one measured out at 22 inches
