By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

By Anthony Bartkowski

Labor Day Weekend was uneventful in Colorado. I took some time for myself last Friday to have an easy day of fishing. I decided to toss the single-man pontoon into the truck and try our Antero Reservoir. This reservoir has been the talk of the state since it reopened earlier this summer. I have not had a chance to try my skill at it until the other day.

I remember fishing it before it closed several years ago and it was always good. The fishing was a little below average. Of all of the fish I hooked it was a good sign to see the healthy well being and fight of all. The largest was a rainbow about 17” and a good solid girth.

The fish were keying in on green scuds, Quill Body Emergers, and BWOs. The bug activity... [ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Take this, "College Game Day" ... we have the 2007 NCAA football season all figured out before it really kicks off. We took Sports Illustrated's preseason top 10 (plus Notre Dame, just for grins), assigned each team a fly that either corresponded by theme or colors to the school, and let the trout in the river do the jawing. The more bites, the higher the ranking. Granted, its not much more scientific than "chicken-sh@t bingo," but then again, it's probably fairer than the BCS selection process.

The Final Six:

Notre Dame -- the Golden Stone (for golden dome). Did better than expected early (a strong tradition), then fell flat on its face. In two words, highly overrated.

Florida -- an Orange Scud. Pretty much just petered along all season, and in this case, didn't pull off the big shocker in the end. Game effort, but no title.

Michigan -- a Yellow (maize) Hopper. Looked great throughout most of the season, then the tippet snapped on a 14-inch rainbow. Anyone who has watched the Wolverines in bowl games lately will understand the irony.

USC -- the Red (garnet) Copper John. Our preseason favorite... [ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Had a chance to revisit the "Hogpen" the other day with my Fflogger friends Nate Matthews, an editor from Field & Stream, and Tim Romano, the photo/blog man. Frankly, the day was really hot and bright, so the fishing wasn't, except for a few sporadic hopper eats and a very sporty interlude of throwing tiny ant patterns at some rainbows laid-up in the same riffle.

The fish finally turned on an hour before sunset, and while Nate and I stayed the course with dry flies ... master Tim tied on a nymph rig and proceeded to hammer fish in a downstream carnage spectacle that smacked of Sherman's "March to the Sea."

Which would have been fine, except it left me feeling soiled ... violated. Maybe it's a generation thing, but I was taught that when heads are popping, it's "go dry or go home." Maybe it's that Colorado-bred nymph-o-mania issue. No doubt, Tim put the smackdown on the trout with at least a 10-1 ratio advantage on us. And yeah ... I know all about dry fly snobs, and have heard the arguments... [ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Jason Owens, a.k.a. "all star Boulder angler" got invited to go scope out a potential fishing operation on Christmas Island for travel group Angling Destinations. Late one day he spotted birds crashing. Birds crashing = Tuna. The problem? No boat and they were only armed with a ten weight. They quickly located the barely seaworthy craft in the photo above and headed out. Soon after they located the fish, Jason hooks one and proceeds to fight it for almost two hours. By now it was well into the night and they were way off shore. The estimated 50lb fish dragged them a mile and nearly spooled Jason. Finally, they got it into the boat, breaking the rod when thrashing beast came aboard. Needless to say there was endless sushi that night after they were rescued by photographer Eric Berger who brought them gas, headlamps, and a gaff.

[ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Ah, prime tourist season in the West. The raft hatch is in full swing; the guides are churnin’ and burnin’ those low (mostly) clear waters in the dwindling days of summer with flocks of ride-along anglers, en masse. If you’re keen on tailwater fishing … especially if you row your own … or just want to get away from the armada mayhem, I have two words of advice: Fish downstream.

Personally, I’m high on the solitude factor, so I’ll always trade hookup volume for some river space. And, by fishing downstream of the “prime” water, you often get shots at bigger fish (especially browns) though, admittedly, they’re fewer and farther between.

Yesterday, for example, I fished the Byington-Lorenzo section of the South Fork in Idaho with Charlie Meyers and Matt Woodard. The wind was hoofin’ but we coaxed some classic eats by using Rainey’s Grand Hopper patterns, and landed a good number of fat cuts and browns.

My favorite “downstream” options: Putting in at the 13-mile access on the Bighorn in Montana, and chasing the alligator browns, especially in the fall; The Gunnison in Colorado, from Pleasure Park down... [ Read Full Post ]

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Uh, yea that post a couple of days ago about brown trout being the biggest, baddest, mutha's... This you-tube video begs to differ. [ Read Full Post ]