geartalk

BONEDALE FISHING REPORT #4

THERE WERE POEMS BEFORE BOOKS ON EARTH

What I need is a typist, or I’ll go mad at this. I was built to be outside. We posted some beautiful Bass and Bluegill, AND MY LONG SUFFERING MOTHER posted my stepdad, 98 years, out of his wheelchair. He hit the deck like a Halibut, but he’s a tough bastard and requires first aid. More to follow.

Live from the WORLD HEADQUARTERS

Kea C. Hause

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Castwork proofs, Carbondale, CO. Photo: Liz Steketee

If you boat and fish long enough, at some point you’ll run into an emergency situation on the river, and in these situations, every oarsman should know the proper hand signals to communicate to your anglers and other boats.

In some situations, you won’t be able to hear effectively because of pounding water, or you’ll be separated from your boat mates by large distances or dangerous obstacles.

Knowing, and practicing, the very basics of pointing positive, river right vs. river left and on-water hand signals not only is elemental, but potentially life saving.

The boys from Bulgaria Rafting provide a great overview of essential river signals.

BONEDALE FISHING REPORT #3

THESE STORIES ARE GOD’S MONEY

I just wrote a twenty-minute rant on Crawdad traps, Bluegill and massive Bass from our last outing, then lost it all. This isn’t uncommon at the WORLD HEADQUARTERS, where, as you know, we play it fast and loose. I got some big Browns to charge Zara Spooks on a fly rod but the oarsman, David Santini, got nervous after I took a couple of direct hits to the back of the head and insisted I throw CJ Steketee’s top secret weapon–chenille and flexi-floss Stones. Tony is back and not a minute too soon. I have reintroduced the old t-shirt line and re-titled it Dead Drift Sportswear with the “Steal Your Fish Right Out of Your Head” shirt being the mainliner. I need something to support my guiding habit and soon. Christ, I had to resort to selling produce the last time the economy was this bad. Skateboard-sized trout are macking Caddis on the Lower Coli, and Copi and I went exploring and got a sporty fedora down Rifle way to pass the time. Don’t let the muddy water fool you, that’s when the big fish move inside. I will attempt to forward other items of interest, but what I need is a typist. The Aspen Board of Realtors continues to solicit donations, so send help immediately.

Live from the WORLD HEADQUARTERS

Kea C. Hause

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Who needs tweed when you can have a plaid gas-station-scored fedora? Photo: Copi Vojta

Fish Handling 101: Keeping Them Healthy, Especially When It’s Hot

We’ve had a few questions about the dos and don’ts of fish handling, so here’s a quick list of fish fighting, handling and releasing tips to keep your summer fish happy and healthy.

Keep fish wet: Seems simple enough, because they live in the water, but as an angler, it’s your job to keep them in the water where they can breathe comfortably, not gasping for air in the bottom of a boat, or on the rocks. Step one is to have a landing net (with a rubber bag, not mesh), so your flies can be removed quickly and easily and in a controlled environment, after a fish is netted. Step two is to revive them after a stressful fight and release them to swim another day. If a fish is struggling to get going, take some extra time to revive them, holding them by the tail, in the water, until their strength returns. Never release a fish that’s turning its belly up in the water; they will certainly perish. They need more time.

Wet your hands: Fish are covered with a layer of protective mucous (their slime coat), which acts as a barrier against bacteria, fungi and parasites. If you have to touch or handle a fish, always remember to wet your hands beforehand. Dry hands, or any dry surface (rocks, grass banks, even dry net bags), can remove this important fish protection and make them more vulnerable to disease and infections. All it takes is a second or two to get things wet. 

Grip and grins: Everyone wants a hero shot to post on social media–we get it. Then again, we’re starting to not get it after a long summer of Instagram hero shots, which means a lot of fish are spending a lot of time out of the water. As more anglers enter the sport, it’s our job to handle fish with more than the customary amount of care, as well as educating the newcomers. Get a picture of the fish in the water. Get a picture of the fish swimming away. Hell, take more photos of your friends, scenery or the destinations–it’s more interesting anyway. No one needs any more grip and grins, and they probably should be removed from the fly-fishing lexicon, sooner rather than later. Like any great athlete who just scored, act like you’ve been there before… 

Water temps: We’re not scientists, but it isn’t hard to figure out that fish have ideal water temperatures to feed and be active in. Most anglers will have noticed lethargic, inactive fish during freezing spring temps, happy and active fish during cool early summer temps and sluggish, inactive fish (again) during hot summer temps. Keep Fish Wet does a great job of putting some exact science to this exercise with their science-based angling thresholds. They recommend some important water temps for the summer angler to be aware of (the point at which angling can start harm salmonids): 54℉ bull trout, 61℉ steelhead, rainbow, cutthroat, brook trout, 66℉ brown trout. “In most cases, dissolved oxygen decreases as water temperatures increase, meaning that it can take fish longer to recover from being angled.” – KFW  

Proper equipment: Handling fish properly often means having the correct equipment. Utilize rods, reels and tippet sizes that are appropriate for the fish you are targeting. Undersized equipment that forces anglers to extend fighting times can lead to unnecessary fish stress and mortality. Fish at the upper end of the equipment and tippet size thresholds you can get away with, not the lower. Other on-water gear and accessories you should carry to help with in the capture and release of happy fish: a good (large) net with a rubber bag (long-handled for oarsmen), pliers for saltwater (for removing hooks), hemostats (for freshwater), The Ketchum Release tool, a thermometer to check water temps, one of the new geo-tracking/water-mapping apps (onWater, TroutRoutes) to plan your trips around actual flow and water temp data.  

Boating tips (from Tim Romano): Keep fish low to the water. As soon as you lift a fish out of the water, start holding your breath–when you need to breathe, time to let them go. Watch for your fingers in their gills. Obviously, wet your hands. Try to de-hook your fish over the water, not in the boat. Give them CPR before they take off. Make sure they don’t float. Consider using SwimWell fish spray if they are seriously struggling. If the fish is deeply hooked, cut the line.

We’re always looking for Flylab feedback–send any comments, thoughts, suggestions, and we’d love to hear from you.