Colorado Vacation: Day 2 Garden of the Gods

 I was really excited to visit Garden of the Gods from the pictures I had seen on the internet. The rock formations seemed unreal and seeing them in person is amazing.

The parking lot gives you a glimpse of how majestic these formations are but it's the walking path that really shows them off.

The path winds its way through the rocks giving you different angles and views. The rocks seem to jut up from the ground out of nowhere. 

It's hard to gauge just how massive they are until you get right up next to them.

This location isn't just a place for sight seers many rock climbers and hikers come to enjoy the park.

There's a lot of good places for kids to climb and crevasses to check out.

The Siamese Twins formation has a small window where you can see Pike's Peak. 

Even with the 90 degree heat the rocks weren't too hot to touch. 

What's nice is if you wanted to avoid the crowds there were several trails that lead to more secluded places.

I liked this place so much I almost came back again before we left Colorado. We spent 4-5hrs there and I still feel there was plenty more to discover. I think this park is a must see if you're in Denver.

Colorado Vacation: Day 1

 The family went to Colorado again this year. We stayed a few more days in Denver checking out some of the sites near town. The following week was spent in the Rockies. 

We had heard about Mt Evans and the draw for me was the opportunity to see mountain goats. Even though they are not native and were brought to this country years ago it's still neat to see them in person. The views driving to the top were spectacular and Summit Lake is a site to behold.

The drive to the top of the mountain had some breath taking views.

The picture above is from Echo Lake. This is the first lake you pass near the gift shop. 

There are postcard views all the way up the mountain. 

If you're lucky you'll run across these guys playing in the rocks near the road.

We talked to a ranger and they said because of the pandemic some of the babies had not associated people with danger. They actually started a program of intentionally hazing the animals to create that relationship. It makes sense but seems like a strange practice. The goats were definitely used to the crowds. They seemed to almost pose on purpose at times.

Near the top is Summit Lake Park. This place is amazing and worth stopping to hike around the lake and check out the views.

Depending on the trail conditions you can almost hike around the whole lake. There was still a lot of snow blocking parts of the trail which I found surprising since it was late June. 

We hiked to the right along the lake and could see down into a valley where I believe Chicago Lakes is.

The view was incredible and the cliffs were so cool looking.

This is the first time the altitude was really effecting me. I had a really bad headache since we landed in Denver the day before. The drive up to the to of Evans made it worse. The sensation was like having a really bad sinus infection. I made sure I was hydrated but nothing seemed to make me feel better.

At the summit I was about at the limit of what I could bare. My wife wanted to hike even further to a marker at the top of a hill. I felt worse with every step I took gaining elevation I decided to just go back to the car and take it easy. My wife got some great views at the top of the trail.

At the very top near the parking lot is a old restaurant that was destroyed in a explosion.

There is also a observatory that has events open to the public at certain times of the year. I bet that is an incredible experience. Probably a once in a life time chance to get certain views of deep space objects.

The experience overall was amazing and I feel like it's a must visit if you're in the Denver area. The drive is around 1.5hrs to the summit from Denver.

Putting to Work the Allen 6wt

 Allen Fly Fishing has a BOGO deal going on right now. I took the opportunity to get a 6wt Compass and 5wt Heritage Rod. The compass has a very pretty Carolina blue color. 

The 6wt feels stout and it can get away with working as a 7wt if needed. It's perfect for that gap where you want something for fish larger than trout but smaller than carp. 

I tried it out at a local pond and hooked a decent bass that gave me an idea of what the rod can handle. 

I was impressed at how easy it was to keep pressure on the fish. The rod definitely wasn't horsing or overpowering the fish but it kept me in constant control. I like rods where if you lose a fish you can only blame yourself and this is definitely one of those. It will give me confidence in many of the waters I fish where a hit may hook a panfish, bass, or carp. I'm excited to see what else this rod can do it casts like a dream due to the large guides. 

I'll let you know the Heritage 5wt is after I try it. I'm going to the Rockies again this summer and I plan on bringing this rod. 

Spring Ritual

 If you follow my blog at all you know I'm a fan of white bass. Spring always brings the white bass run and I look forward to it every year. The weather has not cooperated the last few years making a window to fish the run very narrow. My first few attempts resulted in only a couple fish. The river was always stained and flowing higher than I'd like. The banks are steep and muddy making navigating to a fishing spot challenging.

I was able to time one day just right and the day couldn't have been better.

Everything was so green from all the rain we've had. All the animals were enjoying the warm weather even this guy.

A rat snake sunning itself across a log. It didn't budge when I got closer to take a picture. These snakes can be startling because of their size but they are harmless. 

I met with a friend from the fly fishing club and we had a great time catching up and fishing the usual haunts. The river changes every year with the rains and the fish move constantly. A spot with white perch one day can have all white bass or nothing the next. I haven't exactly figured out what makes the fish move or why there's more of one kind over another. The main thing is they are fun to catch and give a nice tug on a 6-7wt. 

The amount of fish over the years has dropped off and regulations have been put in place to help bring back the populations. Honestly I think the weather patterns have helped the fishing pressure more than anything. The river is tough to fish and only the diehards really put in the work to fight the briars, steep cliffs, and awkward footing. Many times the white bass are a fish you have to earn and the reward is well worth it. 

Big Flies, Big Fish

I visited a pond I rarely fish to see how it faired after the storms we've had recently. The water was very clear with a tea stain to it. While walking the banks I spooked two nice bass in the shallows. I worked the area with a small popper and caught a small 4inch bass. A few casts later a good size fish rose under the popper and sucked it in. I set the hook and after a few seconds the leader snapped. I didn't have much time to keep fishing and decided to come back later and target the larger bass. 

Early evening there was a consistent 10mph wind that would not go away. It put some disturbance on the surface and made visibility difficult. I figured the fish would have a hard time seeing me as well. I worked the same area I fished in the morning this time with a large popper. I usually don't fish poppers larger than a size 2 because of how horrible they are to cast. This one in particular had terrible wind resistance. I was fiddling with my reel with my fly about 30ft from me off shore. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this gray monster rise up and suck in my fly. It was so fast and unbelievable I didn't have time to set the hook properly. The fish was on but it wasn't hooked right and before I could really put leverage on the fish it came unbuttoned. 

I think the whole situation surprised us both because about five seconds after my fly came back the fish jumped like it was still hooked. The fish was massive and I thought maybe I missed my chance. Around ten casts another nice bass came up and sipped my fly off the surface like a large trout. What I've noticed about big bass is they don't jump crazy out of the water then hitting flies. They are so smooth with their takes it makes me wonder how many I've missed in my life. They are so efficient with their energy it's like just the tips of their jaws break the surface when they suck the fly down and the rest of their body stays submerged. 

I put as much pressure as I could and really didn't give the bass a chance I was making sure the only way I'd lose this fish was if the line were to break or my rod snapped. The bass summersaulted under water and I could tell it was massive.  The fish jumped a few feet away and I couldn't see my fly and knew it had to be lodged pretty good. I grabbed the leader and pulled the fish to the shallows so I could lip it. My whole body was shaking, when I looked in the fish's mouth it made the sz1 popper look like a 14. 

Even with the fish in hand I was still shaking and in disbelief. This is probably the biggest bass I've ever caught on any kind of gear. It's strange to go from catching bass that are around two pounds max to this. 

I didn't have a measuring tape so I laid the bass next to my rod to measure it later. The fish was give or take 24 inches and I'm guessing some where around 6lbs.

The fish swam away barely phased by the whole experience. I tried to compose myself and fish the area more and seriously a few casts later I hooked another big bass. This one was close to the same size and hit a few feet of shore. Part of me wondered if it was the same bass I just released. It stayed on for about ten seconds before jumping and spitting the hook. 

After that I didn't get a hit and there was not much else going on but the occasional rise of sunfish. Bass have always been a little mysterious for me they are either impossible to catch or easy. I can never figure them out. All I can say is big flies do seem to catch big fish. 

2020 Wasn't All Bad

 I'd like to say I want to forget last year but there were a lot of wonderful things that happened. My family visited Disneyworld for the first time.

 Even with Covid we were able to have an amazing vacation in the Rockies.

 We made the best of things and found time to kayak and mountain bike the VA Creeper Trail.

 I think the pandemic brought my family closer together and brought out the best and worst of us. 2020 was tougher on my kids than my wife and I. It has never been more evident that kids need the interaction of others. This generation is so spoiled and we take so many things for granted. It's easy to social distance and do what you're supposed to on paper. In reality situations make you drop your guard and not take proper precautions. The lapse in judgement can lead to a terrifying tornado of chaos and anxiety. Last year we had dinner with someone who later called to tell us they tested Covid positive a few days later. The time we spent trying to find a place to get tested until we got the final results were horrible. My family all tested negative but the guilt we experienced and the anxiety of not knowing were bad enough. 

I  hardly fished at all in 2020. I didn't tie much and fly fishing just became something I thought about but never practiced. I made so many planned trips in my mind only to have them be replaced by other priorities or be forgotten entirely. I did manage to get out a few times and my experiences were great fishing wise but the catching not so much. I don't think those experiences deterred me from further trips but I will say they hurt my fishing ego. A small pond 20min from where I live was recently stocked with trout. It's very strange because this pond will become way too warm for trout by late spring. I tried my luck there but didn't even get a bite. I was happy that I still have a somewhat decent cast but my confidence in what I'm actually doing is not the same. I've never had great confidence fishing still water and I always question my fly selection. I usually end up tying on a streamer and fishing with that the majority of the time. Even if it's not productive it keeps me engaged and my hands are always busy. 

I have more hope for this new year but there's still a lot of unknowns. I guess all we can do is our best and try to cope with what's happening.