colorful colorado

greetings from the Creekside bunkhouse.

guests are here and are all over the place. we've been busy guiding, trips almost everyday, usually a morning and an afternoon trip. we've been putting some fish in the nets, giving backslaps and handshakes, and getting a little grease. i've met some great people while fishing.

this whole guiding thing? let me elaborate. alarm goes off at 6:20 am. snooze at least twice, sometimes three times, so that takes me to 6:36 or 6:44. into the shower, teeth brushed, contacts in, arrive at the EDR (employee dining room) around 7:10. grab a glass of o.j. and a plate of whatever's for breakfast. jesse's never had a breakfast stomach so just a small snack here. check the water flow of the creek and the river, write current flow on the flow board. put up the flags, get the brooms. sweep the lodge's front and side porch, steps and around the steps. sweep a couple bridges and the deck of Palmer (game/tv room). sweet another walkway then another deck and another set of stairs. on monday, wednesday and friday, get the fire house out and spray down the alley. sweep what the hose don't get. by this time hopefully i've been filled in on who i'm fishing with and where we're fishing. go get the trucks from the pit, make sure they're clean, then go get my fishing gear from my car and/or room. get some coolers ready for the guests. if necessary, grab a few flies from the lodge. mingle with guests and wait around until they're ready to hit the water. drive to the guests' station, rig up and start fishing. fish from 9 or 9:30 to 12:30ish. drive back to lodge, eat lunch, determine afternoon schedule. clean trucks, reload coolers, put waders back on, leave lodge by 2:00. fish from 2:00ish to 6:00ish, drive back to lodge. eat dinner. clean trucks, clean coolers, put trucks back in the pit. done.
fishing has been hot. when i arrived, flow in goose creek was roughtly 500 CFS. now it's down to 73. awesome level. perfect. hatches have started and fish are rising like the sun. we're stinging fish on a big stonefly dry called the designated hitter. also getting love on the good ol adams parachute, blue wing olive parachute, elk hair caddis and schroeder's caddis. nymphs working well are green copper johns, stoneflies still, a fly called a dirty bird and also the bird's nest. we should have strong hatches for another 2 to 3 weeks and then i think we'll be midging for a while.

i netted a five pound chromer for a guest yesterday and this morning had a beautiful 18" cutbow take a DH on the last cast of the morning. schwing!

the rio has been fishing well too. that's Boone and i's go-to spot to fish. i've been fishing two flies almost all the time - DH's with an elk hair dropper or a DH with a bird's nest dropper. Boone often elects to drift nymphs over rising fish, despite criticism from the other guides.

did an exploratory mission up to the upper stretches of Goose Creek and found some wild cutties which was great. just an amazing spot in the wimuniche wilderness. hike-in only. awesome.
on any given night at the bar in town there are 6 to 15 guides there. we've all befriended each other and share reports over banquet beers. a fun atmosphere for sure. some of the older guys have been guiding and fishing a long time. like, a lot longer than i've been alive. i try to listen closely when they get deep and/or philosophical. brain sauce, that is.

that's all for now, dish duty tonight. today i received my first paycheck since september of 2009. much needed. i hope everyone is well. tight lines and cold beers to all.
the river is why.