Happy New Year, See You at the Fly Fishing Show!

If you live within a 8 hr. radius of 58th and I-25, Denver, you need to be at the Fly Fishing Show January 6, 7, and 8th. If you want to learn anything about this sport in general, tying, global angling destination, and or local angling destinations; you will find it at this show! All major manufacturers, and fly shops will be there. The stars and celebrities of this industry will be there, and you get the chance to pick their brain! YOU WON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO BLARING DUCK, GOOSE AND ELK CALLS, OR FILTER THROUGH GARAGE SALES AND FLYING RODENTS. There will even be a fly fishing film tour party on the night of Friday the 6th (which we have tickets for on sale for at the flyshop $10/ each)........

As an added benefit our guide service will be offering 10% off for all guide trips pre-booked at the show.....Look for our 20 ft booth at the show entrance......

Plain and simple, this is the only Fly Fishing Show in Colorado...... you need to show up, and learn how to step your game up for next season!

Here is a list of our presentations at the Fly Fishing Show:

Friday

2 PM Adventure Theatre: Fly Fishing Argentine Patagonia with Capt. Taylor Edrington

3 PM Release Room Seminar: Fly Fishing the Lifecycle of the Caddis with Bill Edrington &  Larry Kingrey

4 PM Destination Theatre: Fly Fishing the Arkansas with Capt. Taylor Edrington

Saturday

12 PM Adventure Theatre: Fly Fishing Argentine Patagonia with Capt. Taylor Edrington

3 PM Destination Theatre: Fly Fishing the Arkansas with Capt. Taylor Edrington

Friday

10:30 AM Release Room Seminar: Fly Fishing the Lifecycle of the Caddis with Bill Edrington & Larry Kingrey

1 PM Adventure Theatre: Fly Fishing Argentine Patagonia with Capt. Taylor Edrington

2 PM Destination Theatre: Fly Fishing the Arkansas with Capt. Taylor Edrington

Turn it up!

Lets understand one thing clearly...."the most important thing in flyfishing is the process more than the product." In other words, enjoy the Before, After, and In Between! Enjoy the tying sessions before the big trip, enjoy the gear selection, enjoy the beer selection, enjoy the music you crank on the road, and yes enjoy the fishing; but, understand the great combination of things that make this the best sport on earth!

I want to focus on one of those criteria, the tunes......

Most times for me and my buddies, it comes in phases; starting softer, getting much louder. Bluegrass to heavy medal; coffee to pounding Rockstars and Red Bulls......However there is one CD out there I feel every angler can throw down on their playlist, and that is the tunes from Ben Winship and David Thompson. These guys can straight throw down some fishing lyrics, especially on their newest album, properly titled, Fishing Music II. Bluegrass has its place in every river trip playlist, and this one just kicks it up a notch into our special niche. So before you blast the Beastie Boys or Pepper throw a little of this through the deck........

Christmas Celebration at Royal Gorge Anglers

Come one, come all to RGA's Annual Christmas Bash, this Saturday from 1-4 PM! Should be a great little party for all! Some great sales, great guides, great tyers, great authors, and overall alot of great people.......

Plan on attending this shindig, you will not be disappointed!

Please RSVP if you plan to attend......Register Online, or call us at the flyshop office toll free @ (888) 994 6743.

Tying Hoppers with Juan Ramirez this Saturday!

This Saturday we have one of the premier tyers in the industry in our classroom! From 11 AM- 1pm, Juan will be demonstrating the art of tying his tremendous hopper patterns....Sign up online and plan to attend this great free event!


Tying Hoppers with Juan Ramirez Sign Up

Nocturnal Activity

Autumn is the season of the Brown Trout in Colorado. These fish are pre-spawn in most of our major watersheds and extremely aggressive and territorial. This is the best and sometimes only time to get a shot at a Brown Trout of a lifetime on many of our local rivers. Focus on streamers imitating smaller trout, and or more visible nymphs for best success. My number one suggestion, tie your patterns on a strong hook........

These bigger fish move and feed nocturnally, and thus we tend to target the larger predatory fish at night. Unfortunately this makes it a bit more technical on the angler, and can get quite frigid, however the rewards can be quite amazing!

Photos: Royal Gorge Anglers Guides on a night off.......

Fall Orvis Days with RGA

Come join us this Saturday as we discuss fly fishing Southcentral Colorado at the Largest Fly Fishing Event of the Fall at Orvis Cherry Creek. We will be presenting at 11am, and be followed by some excellent presentations from North Fork Lodge, Freestone Outfitters and many more!

See You There!

Streamer Time in the Rockies

Bout that time people.....You know what I'm talking about!

The time period where we carry only 2x....
The time period our tying desk looks like someone murdered a rabbit....
The time period where hook sizes are in the low single digits....
The time period where you gotta tape down your clients' ears, and your own.....
The time period where the hook-sets will take the rod out of your hand....

Finally, its Fall Time and most importantly STREAMER TIME in the Rockies!

As the Browns on the Arkansas and many rivers around the state begin to enter the Pre-spawn stage, my go to is always a streamer. Tan/ Ginger/ Olive/ and Brown, all day long. Long down stream presentations tight against deep banks, connect with the fly and put on a couple of hard strips!

After coming back from Alaska, I don't even have to put away my streamer rods! I'm siked!

Call us at the fly shop for the hot streamers of the week!

Get out there, and get ready for the rail!

AK Bound Baby!

Wheew....Its been a whirlwind the last few weeks. Arki has been as good as I can remember, and along with that comes alot of guiding. I am ecstatic about the great clients we have had this summer, and my guides (along with me, sometimes) have been putting on clinics (kicking butt!).

Today I get to throw on my Cross Current Travel hat, as I depart for 3 weeks of host trips in the Northland. Catching Slob (abnormally large) trout will be our mission in life. I will miss the double dry fishing on the Arki, however I will enjoy a change of pace and the shot at getting some true 30"+ native rainbows in the net for my clients! Dear Kvichak, Copper, American, Gibraltor, Funnel, Kulik, Talarik, and other sundry rivers: Get ready for a crew of true trout bums to descend upon you!

I've sorted and painted 3 large plano boxes full of custom beads, filled 3 giant Bugger Beast Cliff Boxes with tubes and other goodness, and waxed down my polypropylene tights........Get ready for Kick-off baby, AK here I come!

Quick and sweet......

The Arkansas River has made the Top Six Hottest fishing locations in North America this week!

Get here and bring some big bugs, or we have a few.........

And if you don't make it we will all feel sad for you.......in between fish

Check it out!

Hot List

Yamp-Stamp

The Yampa is one of those rivers that stamps a dramatic fishing experience in your memory. I remember the first time I fished the Yampa like it was yesterday, and that was 15 years ago.......

Yet another impression was inlayed in my Yampa vault this past Thursday and Friday, as good friend and fellow trout bum John St. John (owner and operator of Hog Island Boat Works in Steamboat Springs, CO) escorted Fly Fusion Magazine down a good portion of the Yampa watershed for some meat shredding action. Honestly, I'm not sure I can remember a better streamer days than what we experienced on the Yampa the past few days. Our fisherman shot some accurate pocket water shots with some big meaty creatures through the town section with great reward. We then followed up with a double dip below Milner Bridge for an outrageous 25" 3rd cast Rainbow landed by our very own Johnny of Hog Island on a size 4 Yellow Yummy!

Great fishing in the Steamboat area right now as water recedes to incredible levels. We floated the Hogs through town at 600 cfs. But I can tell you, if you aren't an expert on the sticks, not something to attempt right now. Anything below the sea wall in town is very floatable for any skill level. The Yampa isn't the only big river that is kickin ASS right now, so get out on big water with some big flies and give it hell.......

Pic Above: John St. John holds a beautiful Yampa Rainbow by Capt. T's Hog Island right before dusk......

Visit the Hog Island Boat Works Site to take a look and the strongest drift boat on god's green earth: Hog Island

Reservoir Rockin

So while we wait for the river to make its way back down from the epicness of runoff that it has sustained itself at for a record period, we have been blessed with great fishing in other zip codes......

People often overlook still water fishing in Colorado. I think it is because Colorado just plain has so much stinkin good fishing, that people have a hard time going everywhere. I feel the rivers and streams of Colorado rival those of any other state! That being said, the high lakes and high mountain reservoirs of this state are pure and simple, incredible. And they sure do pick up a lot of the slack when the rivers are acting high and mighty........

We have been enjoying great trips every day with awesome clients on Spinney Reservoir, sometimes Antero, and several high lakes in the area! The fish hit hard, some are big, most are hefty, and it is an incredible time on the water!

Pic: Client, Todd Patriaccia, holds a quality rainbow on Spinney earlier this week on Mr. Granberg's boat!

"What the Shuck" goes Off with a Bang!

Just got back from Creede, CO and the beautiful Rio Grande for the 2nd Annual "What the Shuck?" event! In a nutshell, this event event brings a core group of Bad-Ass fly shop owners and a select few manufacturers together for 3 days of industry enlightenment, alcohol consuming and debauchery. I take to heart several things from the past 3 days:

#1: We all work in the best industry on Earth, whether you are a guide, owner, or shop dude; this industry kicks ass!

#2: There is plenty of Beer and Maker's Mark in Creede....We tested supply levels

#3: Cats become legends and are the life of the party in Creede, even in a petrified state. See Exhibit A- Tired Kitty Fan Page

#4: If you sleep walk and drink considerably, think about picking a room with a locking door, just so you don't give your roommates the wrong impression. (I am not speaking from personal experience just observation)

#5 The trout in the Rio Grande are Chubby-Chasers, and take down one from time to time. Enough said.

I'd Like to thank Andy, Patrick and most of all Whitey for putting on a kick-ass event, where we not only caught great fish on big flies and drained alcohol supplies in Mineral County; but we learned valuable lessons and gained valuable knowledge to help us continue to supply great service to our loyal and valuable angling compadres!

See the Idylwilde Blog for more in depth info on the What the Shuck, and check out some of their sick patterns on the way out!

Larry Kingrey Signature Pattern videos!

If you haven't already viewed them, this is a quick note to inform you that we have a series of new great instructional videos on the RGA Site Homepage. Larry Kingrey, in my opinion is one of the greatest technical tyers and fly designers in North America! A guide and tyer for over 25 years, he truly has revolutionized aquatic intepretation and design. Many of the up and coming designers and tyers are simply following in the footsteps of greats like Larry, AK Best, Gary Lafontaine, Don Puterbaugh, and Mike Lawson.......The video clips of Larry tying the Mama Ape and Gold Ice have been provided by local documentary filmmaker Sam Ebersole. You may have seen his recent documentary Colorado Cane on PBS or World Fishing Network. His next project, featuring some of Colorado's most highly-regarded fly tiers (including Larry Kingrey) is scheduled for completion in late fall or early winter.

Check them out!

http://www.royalgorgeanglers.com/

Join Us @ The Whitewater Fest!

The Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival is held annually in beautiful Cañon City, Colorado. Where the Arkansas River flows, rages, and tumbles out of the world famous Royal Gorge. This is the premier whitewater and river event of the Summer. Come join our festival on June 24 & 25, 2011!

This year the festival will be held at Centennial Park, located along the beautiful banks of the Arkansas River. There will be eight different events on the river this year, as well as demos through out both days. Come enjoy the sights sounds, and good beer.

Come on down to the RGA booth and hang out!

What lurks beneath......

When your having a lovely day fishing for trout on your local lake, river, or reservoir; have you ever peered into the dark depths and wondered, I wonder what kind of gnarly creature may reside beneath? The fact is, there are some creatures that lurk in the depths of the lakes and reservoirs and sometimes even rivers of Colorado that could take a small child........

As the large watersheds of Colorado rage in early June, those of us that call guiding a profession look to other avenues; often times wandering from a focus on trout to occupy our time and client days. Although it is most times not recognized by the average angler in the Rocky Mountains; we truly do have some world class fishing for species other than trout, including but not limited to: Common Carp; Grass Carp; Large Mouth Bass; Small Mouth Bass; Northern Pike; Lake Trout; and Tiger Musky. Getting to the point.... Commit some good time this season to pursuing a species other than trout in your local areas! I think you will find it very rewarding in terms of building your fly fishing skill set, as well as getting shots at fish that will make your heart rate skyrocket! Above is a Northern taken in a local reservoir very close to Canon City. Next time you stick your toes in, you might have second thoughts.........

Stay tuned for some tying tidbits for predatory fish. Find some extremely large hooks and get ready to tape down your ears........

Ptero-Knarly

Different renditions of the prince keep my head spinning, yet they always seem to produce. With the vast amount of stoneflies we have started to recognize in the Arkansas, the more and more obsessed with them I get. The most intriguing of all of the Stones is the Giant Stones or Pteronarcyidae.......

These are extremely large froms of the general Stone, measuring 15-50 mm excluding tails. The gills are very evident, and by god they will pinch the ever living heck out of ya with their jaws. Pure and simple they remind me of the Aliens from the Predators movies. They look like they were sent to earth with medieval style battle armor to search and destroy. The second clear diagnosis I draw is that our happy Brown Trout love them some cheeseburgers. I tie this 2 together, and bring myself to fish these babys more and more. And, man have they been successful!

Above is my latest creation, a super knarly rendition of a prince, nymph with all kinds of other goodies. Let me tell you, this will kick A-S-S!

Ptero-knarly (Tear-O-Knarly)

Hook: #6 Tiemco 2457

Bead: MFC Lucent (c0ffee) 4.7 mm

Thorax: Hareline Brown Ice Dub mixed with Peacock

Wing: White Goose Biots

Wingcase: Flashabou Wingin Fiber

Body: Brown Lucent Chenille/ UTC Brown Tubing

Tail: Brown Goose Biots

Epic Spring Slumber

Boy what a great/ busy spring season! As we sit back and watch the river rise into possibly what we call "chunky, tree trunk movin, inner tube tossin, river rat dunkin" form (runoff). I picture what the next few weeks might have in store. I know there will be some epic footage gettin laid down. Maybe a trip down to Baja to chase some roosters. Quite possibly some carnage in the kayaks. Hopefully some great times with the honey.

Until our trips really start poppin on the reservoirs, and come back to life in the form of big streamers from a boat at receding water time on the Arki.......I'm gonna have a little more time to kill.

The one thing I know that will be epic is the Teva Mtn. Games. 100's of Outdoor Pro Atheletes will be convening in Vail on June 4,5,6 to lay down some crazy competition! I am proud to say that my head guide Clint Werthman and I will be joining 80 other Guides/ Pros/ Sticks in a 2 fly/ Accuracy/ Distance competition. We will do our best, but in the mean time have an epic time, and throw back some mean brews! Mark that weekend off the calendars, and come down and hang with us. It will be a time to remember!

Wildlife Commission Opposes "Artist" Christo's OTR Project.....

The other day, I viewed 2 bumper stickers on a Subaru at the local market. One sticker said "Save the Earth!" The second sticker said, "I Support OTR (Over the River)." I simply wrote a little note to the guy or gal, and stuck it on the driver's side window; reading: "You have found yourself in quite the quandary it seems. You move for the protection of the earth, however you also support the drilling of 4000 4" diameter holes in the Arkansas River and the displacement of the last local Bighorn sheep herd, for some of Grandmas old bed sheets to be hung over the river. Where do you draw the line Sir, or Mam?"

With a very strong and determined move the Wildlife Commission, which is charged with protecting, preserving and enhancing the wildlife and wildlife habitat in Colorado, stood unanimously (9 Votes to None) opposed to the controversial landscape art project known as "Over the River" proposed by Belgian artist Christo. Major step in the right direction! Now maybe we won't have to endure 3 years of construction (with accompanied local economy drain), the loss of the last local Bighorn Sheep herd, and drilling holes in our riverbed, for three weeks of viewing "art!" Is the Arkansas River so ugly as it is? Some people must think so........

Read More: Wildlife Commission Has A Pair

Trump Stone

So we get a sample pack of some new stuff from Hareline the other day, and included is this sick new stuff called Senyo's Shaggy Dub. It is basically a micro rubber leg "dubbing like" material. I have been looking for a natural gill material for my stonefly patterns, and let me tell you this really pumped it up a notch. Not only does it give it a very natural under gill, but just makes the stone look super buggy! Look for Senyo's Shaggy Dub at your local flyshop. I present the Trump-Stone.........

Another great private water day.

Yesterday we had another tremendous day on our private water section. A half day afternoon trip provided non-stop action. There were caddis and blue wings on the water and fish were more than eager to eat drys. I had three great clients and several times had two rods doubled over with fish on the end and once all three had fish at the same time. Sorry I have no pictures for this post but with so many fish to catch it's hard to stop and dig out the camera. With the warm weather I expect the fishing will only get better and better so I encourage you to load up on dry flies and get to the river. I'm sure that's the only place you'll be able to find me during day light hours for the next couple of weeks.

Matt Ellis
Guide

WTF Arki Fishing!

I enjoy fishing so many rivers all over the world. And, it was so good to be able to get away and spend some time on the Reef last week. However, I am always stunned at the caliber of our Colorado Rivers, and more importantly the river I live on. It seems like I can never fully understand how well this river truly fishes until I spend a full week guiding on it. We had such a tremendous back to back float trip yesterday to cap off a great week on the water! Caddis have been huge in places and sporadic in others; however, combined with BWO's and great attractor fishing, has allowed for pretty easy fishing. This is just a post for myself to acknowledge that I feel so blessed to be able to live and work on one of the greatest rivers in the world. And to be able to share my perspective with other angling enthusiasts is simply icing on the cake!

T

Arki Gets Headlines

Check out this weeks outdoor article in the Denver Post: Article.

Get Arki bound, or miss out on all the fun!

Rob Goes Anti Pebble!

Some more good news on the Alaska Front.....But still one step at a time!

Hollywood star Robert Redford is speaking out against the Pebble Mine, a huge copper and gold deposit poised for development in southwest Alaska, which also hosts the world's last and best wild salmon runs and trout streams.

Redford posted a blog entry Thursday morning on the Huffington Post website that says he's not against mining but is against "putting mega-mines where they don't belong."

He also is speaking out in a New York Times advertisement paid for by the Natural Resources Defense Council asking mining companies Rio Tinto and Anglo American to leave Bristol Bay alone.

Redford describes Pebble as a disaster-in-the making. But the mining companies maintain they can develop the mine responsibly and without harming fish.

We are so pleased to have a conservationist such as Robert on board, every little bit helps!

T

On The Water Reporting @ RGA

I am so excited about our new report system, which will feature on the water video reporting! We now have a video window on our Arkansas River Report Page: Arki Report, that will feature fly fishing tidbits for the day and great all around stuff for you too use on the water. I hope this is such a useful tool for everyone! We will continue to work on live streaming updates, and as our communications technology improves in the canyon, we will be there!

Our reports coming up will feature the Royal Gorge Anglers fly box (a look at the day's selections); Flow Updates; and Tools & Techniques........

Parle Vu Rendezvous

On Tuesday we hooked up the Hog Island, unrolled our sails, and the wind took us to Casper WY for the 25th Annual Orvis Rendezvous. Not only was I relieved to arrive after the usual gale force hurricane winds on the way, but also to see every truck in the hotel parking lot attached to a Dory! We had a great 2 day meet and greet with the Orvis owners/ staff; and saw a ton of great new product that will be available soon if not now! We even got a chance to get on the Reef to do some on the water clinics to test our guiding and angler prowess.....Even saw some Blue Wings, until they blew off!

A great program and great couple of days, but always awesome to roll home and see the Arki!

Great trip to our private water.

Our private water section provided a great day of fishing for Layne and Sherry yesterday. We found fish on double nymph rigs of stone fly imitations and baetis nymphs all day long and had some productive fishing on the surface and just below with baetis drys and emergers in the afternoon. Every where we looked we were finding good hatches of blue wing olives and all the conditions are right for an explosion of caddis that I'm sure will happen soon.

Matt Ellis- Guide

The Orvis Family

Check out our new unique page on the Orvis Adventure Site HERE!

Saltwater Fever

C. Werthman with an incredible Bone in the hamas.....Saltwater fishing is a tremendous part of the sport! I dream of fish like this every night, and count the days between my trips to the flats. Whether it is Belize, Costa Rica, or the Bahamas; it really makes no difference. Its about the sand between your toes, the cold refreshment between your fingers and the sightfishing hunt on the flats.

When are you going? Not if, but when? This is how you should be loving to live your life......

The Oven is Preheated.....GET your Caddis Ready!

Another great week of trips last week! The river is truly starting to come into true form! Watch for updates daily this week, as we WILL see Caddis on the lower river. Water temps are right and oven is preheated; get ready for a big one this season!

Check out this post from one of our groups on Friday. What a great day on the water with these girls! Check out this post about the day from their website at Reel Sisters of Colorado: Reel Sisters!

Deep Water Cay Bound

So the best 2 sticks in southern Colorado, Joe Bower and SoCO Guides Head Guide, Clint Werthman waiting patiently in Miami for their flight to Grand Bahama (And Sporting their Cross Current Travel Hats!)! Good luck to these 2 as they spend a week in Deep Water Cay fishing for what may be the biggest bonefish in the world! Stick a big one boys, wish I was there with ya!!!!

Keep your eyes out for a special host trip to this great destination next season through Cross Current Travel Group!

Another Successful Spring Fling

Well Everyone, yet another successful 11th annual Spring Fling at the Cotopaxi KOA completed yesterday afternoon! We are so thankful to everyone that makes these events possible! We had such a great, energetic group this year; and boy did we have a great time out on the water! Not only did we get some great on the water learning in on both days, but also got to experience some great BWO hatches both days. We are so blessed to live on one of the greatest rivers in the world! We truly hope that the whole group left as better anglers, and again thanks go out to all of our clients! The BBQ on Saturday, nothing short of INCREDIBLE! 60 pounds of brisket, 50 pounds of sausage, and more beer than I care to even try to weigh was consumed. Its always a tremendous time at the Fling.

Keep your eyes peeled for our fall clinic.....coming soon!

On another note, GO FISH! Fishing is just plain amazing all over the state, and we have native flow on the Arkansas through the Caddis Hatch! We are stoked for a tremendous season!


Tight Lines,

T

Fly Fishing Film Tour Tonight!

Pretty awesome folks, the Southern CO Fly Fishing Film Tour is tonight at the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs @ 6pm! Some of the most EPIC angling footage you have ever seen will be revealed for the first time, and did I mention it is in a bar? Also, there are countless awesome silent auction items to be auctioned off; and the first annual Guide Auction where SoCO Guides will be giving away 2 free trips. Alright people get out on a Friday Night, and get pumped for the spring fishing that awaits us!