We Drove HOW MANY Hours?!?!

With nothing to do for a couple days, it seemed like a good time for a little overnighter. So after a few hours of getting ready, we hopped in the car and started the grueling 5 hour drive that takes us to the Taylor River. And I apologize in advance for all the blurry pictures, but it's tough to hold a camera steady when you're ass deep in fast water!

Have you ever had something so well planned out, so prepared, that it just doesn't work out? Well day one went kind of like that. Don't get me wrong, we caught a couple fish. The only issue was that we were at the Taylor searching for that elusive 10 pound rainbow. And they just didn't seem to be around. I spent the day catching nice browns in the 16-20 inch range, but didn't even see a fish you could call a Taylor River Hawg. Was day one a bust? No, it just wasn't quite what I was looking for. Not that it wasn't fun, just not what I expected.

Day two brought us fishing on the lower Taylor and Gunnison Rivers. It was a big change of pace from the previous day, with much more active fish. More active meaning they would eat a size 2 Golden Stone on the skate. Now, if you've never had the chance to fish a good stonefly hatch, put it on the list. You cast  up onto the bank, twitch it and skate it into the water, and let it get hammered by that 17 inch rainbow who's been waiting all day for the next big meal.

Day three took us on another long drive (4 hours) across the Kebler Pass and into the town of Basalt. For this last full day, we were going to hit the Frying Pan from top to bottom. Starting at the infamous Toilet Bowl, we worked our way through the Flats, Bend Pool, and weaved around private water all the way to Basalt.

Day four brought a 4:30am wake up and a quick morning of fishing at the upper Pan, and finished off with brekfast burritos and yet another 4 and a half hour drive home. Awesome trip!

Frying Pan Fiasco

Friday, 2:00 p.m.: We've finished packing, and now it's time to head out. This ride will take us four hours away, to the Frying Pan river in Basalt. I have a couple rods, lots of weight, and tons of flies, along with some other stuff.

8:00 p.m.: After dinner and a few bathroom breaks, we're at the infamous Toilet Bowl. To my great surprise, I'm the only one there. The weather is freezing, the wind is howling, and I have the headache to end all headaches. However, I'm on a mission. I need to catch a fish before the night is over. Luckily, my quest doesn't take long, because I catch a nice brown on my tenth cast. I keep fishing, catch a few more small(er) fish, and head to the Green Drake hotel.

Saturday Morning: I wake up bright and early at 4:30 am. getting my gear on takes about five minutes, and then we head out. When we arrive 15 minutes later, my early start seems to have paid off. I hop in the river with my glow in the dark Thingamabobber, and try to catch some pigs. I catch a few, but decide not to take pictures because the temps are in the single digits. at around nine o'clock, I meet Pete and Cale. Cale is out with his father, picking up trash along the river. Upon talking to him some more, I learn that Cale is quite the celebrity, and has been recognized by all sorts of people for his trash clean-up work. Nice work buddy, keep it up. Oh, and did I mention Cale is only like 9?!

Weird Expression

Saturday Afternoon: Next, I meet Phillip. He is one year older than me, and equally into fly fishing (something very hard to find these days). We get to talking, and spend the rest of the day hammering fish together. It's also a big help to have someone net your fish, and he was great at aiding me when I had a big fish. Here are a few photos from our adventure:

Phillip and I Double Up

"Average" Bow

Saturday Night: I get a text from Phillip while I am at dinner saying that he convinced his mom to let him stay the night, and that he will see me again tomorrow. Far those of you who are a little old for texting, it's like the new version of the Pony Express. For those of you who are a little old for the Pony Express, it's like the new version of dropping a cave painting off your velociraptor into your neighbor's cave. I hop back in the car after dinner and head back up, ready to take another shot at night fishing the Pan.

The fishing is the best I've seen it so far, and I hammer six big rainbows on my first seven casts. I fish until it's pitch black, then wade back across the river. I manage to survive that trip, but fall in two times and get soaked to the bone.

Sunday Morning: I get up around the same time, get dressed in my now wet waders, and head back to the Pan for on last day of fishing. It isn't long after the light comes up that I see Phillip pull in, and not long after that we both start catching fish. We call it quits around noon, promising to hand out again soon and get back on the water. Check out some more photos and a very short video below:

Some Sort Of Disease??

Nice Brown

The Pan