The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

Sign the tell Congress NO BUT NO Petition

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/ 

The titles sound good but like Obama Care are riddled with traps and pitfalls. It is hard enough to make money on the internet without more regulations and junk to deal with.

If you surf or run an internet business, please pass this on to your friends. These two bills must be defeated.

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com

Reflecting on my journey through the 2012 Denver Fly Fishing Show, my highlight was a chance to meet and talk with Justin Allen Geisel CEO/Owner of Allen Fly Fishing and Evan Burck the Product Development Manager / Staff Pro.

Justin is a soft spoken unassuming person with a big heart and a commitment to succeed. The story of Allen Fly Fishing is a story of sacrifice, hard work and long hours on the road to success. In other words, it is a true entrepreneurial story of American Success.

The story starts back in 2008 when the economy went in the tank. Justin was working for his family in their plastics injection plant. “We were needing to lay people off.  At the same time our plant manager just had twins.  I didnt want him to be laid off so I took no pay for one year while they kept the factory open and people employed.”

At the end of the year, his father came to him and said,” Justin. You need to do something else now.” So Justin used the supplier contacts from the plastics firm to make contacts for fly fishing products. And Allen Fly Fishing www.allenflyfishing.com was born.

Justin said, “I started with my Alpha reel and then went into hooks as a filler product.  Then the hooks took off and have became one of my popular products. Also, I owe the start and growth of the company to my wife (Courtney). Not many people will put trust into someone with no money to try to make something work.”

Justin sells fly tying hooks over the web at prices the big manufacturers can not beat. For about $6.95 you can get 100 hooks. This is roughly twice as many hooks as most suppliers will sell you for the same price. Allen Fly Fishing’s premium hooks are less than $13.00 for 100 hooks.

After two years, Justin brought out his first line of fly rods and more reels at affordable prices. And his prices on all his current line of rods and reels are still affordable.

There are three series of fly rods. The XA starts at $229 and runs to $249. The XA are all 4 pc medium-fast action rods built using a combination of 33 and 36 modulus graphite in the blanks for strength and smoothness of casting action.The weights run from 3 through 10 with a 3 wt 10 ft, a 4wt 10 ft and a 5 wt 10 ft suitable for czech nymphing for $239. There is a 10ft in 6, 7 and 8 wt with fighting butt for $249. The rest of the XA series is the standard 3 wt through 10 wt starting at 6 ft 6 inches and ending at 9ft for $229 and $239. The XA is designed as a general purpose rod for throwing dries, nymphs and streamers. The XA series is built with an internal ferrule for a smoother action under load. (The one I cast was certainly smooth casting with some 50 foot of line out and another 20 on a shoot.) The series sports a titanium chromium plated stripping guide for salt water protection with titanium chromium plated single foot guides that are the smoothest casting I have tried in a long time. On weights 3 through 5 a half wells grip is used and on weights 6 through 9 a full wells grip is used with a fighting butt. AAA cork is used in all grips.

The Myth is the next step up in the Allen Rod Series. The Myth is a fast action rod built with a mix of 40 and 46 high modulus in the graphite blanks. They also feature the internal ferrule design, Silicone Carbide (SIC) lined stripping guides and the titanium chrome plated single foot rod guides. Rod weights are 3 through 6, all 4pc with lengths from 6ft 6 inches through 10 feet. The Myth has been designed for precise close in casting. Yet it has the backbone to reach out for those long casts too. Grips are a half wells with a carbon fibre reel seat to reduce weight. Pricing is $279 except for the 10 ft rods at $299.

 The Olympic series was originally designed for salmon and steelhead fishing with the two handed rod. The Olympic series is now gaining favor amoung trout and bass fishers too. Two handed rods are easier to cast and put less arm and shoulder strain on aging muscles than one handed rods. The Olympic is a medium fast action with a powerful tip for loop control of heavy spey, skagit or scandinavian fly lines. The stripping guide is titanium chrome plated and the traditional snake guides are titanium chrome plated for corrosion resistance. Rod weights run 5 through 9 with lengths starting at 12 ft progressing to 12 ft 6 inches, 13 ft, 13ft 6 inches and 14 ft depending on the rod wt. Prices start at $329 progress to $339 and end at a modest $349 for the 9wt 14ft model.

All rods come with a rod tube.

Rods without reels are not much good. Justin and Evan have developed a nice line of Trout reels plus the Alpha and Alpha II reels to meet your fishing needs and conditions. http://www.allenflyfishing.com/pages/reels 

Allen Fly Fishing offers an excellent warranty on their products.
http://www.allenflyfishing.com/pages/warranty-registration

Per Justin “We have a new Trout reel being released in April and a saltwater reel in May.  We also have another rod coming out in Feb ($150-$160) called the A.T.S. rod. (Allen Trout Series).”

So here we have the capsule version of Allen Fly Fishing, leaving out the 36 hour days, little sleep, traveling, struggle to stay afloat until success was achieved. This is how success is achieved by not quitting, getting the break sometimes and by plain old hard work the American way.

Wishing you at Allen Fly Fishing much continued Success.

Marshall, Editor and Author
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Every Thing You Need for Fly Fishing
www.successfulflyfishing.com
“Successful Fly Fishing for Trout”

Tuesday was one of those Indian Summer days that cried out "Fly fishing today!" The weather promised to be sunny and warm around 65 degrees at O'Fallon Park outside of Kittridge, CO. There is nothing better than Colorado Blue Sky, a warm sun, the burbling of your favorite trout stream and cooperative trout to make your soul sing.

The air temperature was 44 degrees when I arrived at O'Fallon at 8:45. As I was starting to gear up, my partner Douglas Borer of  D'Borer Hand-made Bamboo Fly Rods showed up. By the time we were geared up, the sun had come over the mountains and burned off the clouds leaving that Colorado Blue Sky that has to be experienced to understand its beauty.

We started fishing the Head Pool above Bar Pool. Doug had one strike before hanging up in the trees. After wading across the pool to retrieve flies, we moved downstream to try the MiniPool without any luck. Usually this little pool is good for at least one fish but not today. Bar Pool was not any better. I spotted one small brown at the tail of the pool but neither one of us had any strikes in Bar Pool today.

Back to O'Fallon Park at the east end of the park. Doug was working Three Rock Pool while I moved to a run just before a plunge waterfall downstream. This small run is usually good for one or two fish. Today I got a nice 7 inch brown out of the run. The opposite side run was barren of fish today.

Fishing below the plunge pool did not yield any fish either. Guess they did not like my plain gold ribbed hares ear in this area. Back upstream, I saw Doug catch and release a nice 8 – 9 inch fish. (on Bear Creek in this area these are average size fish). Doug was using a small green flashback gray midge he ties. In three rock pool, Doug caught and released 4 fish while I was fishing my way back upstream to him.

Heading back to the main parking lot we fished some of the deeper runs along the road without any luck. Fishing a pool off the main parking lot, I caught this nice 13 inch rainbow.

After lunch, Doug fished Old Dam Hole for a while before heading home.

Then Doug headed home. And I headed downstream to East Corwina Park. On the way out of O'Fallon, I saw one other fly fisherman. That is what I like about this time of year. Solitude, friendship and good weather.

My ususal spots in East Corwina did not yield any fish even though I could see 3 fish working in the main pool. Upstream from the bridge I did catch two small brown trout on the plain hares ear.

Time to beat the rush hour and I headed home.

Summary:
CFS – 18 to 20
Air – 44 degrees at 9 am and 65 at 3:30 pm
Water Clarity - good and clear to 3 feet unless the bottom was covered with weeds. The it turned green
Water Temp – estimated at 55 to 60 degrees in the afternoon.
Hatches: sporadic blue wings during the late morning and early afternoon. One or two large PMDs doomed to failure, a caddis or two
Flies: small gray midge with green flashback size 22, plain gold ribbed hares ear size 16

Tight lines and good fishing,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing

 SPECIAL NOTICE!!!!! 

Attention all  Alaskan or Alaska-bound Fly Anglers    

In the interest of  preventing the spread of un-wanted species, Alaska will no longer allow the use of felt-soled wading boots in its fresh-water rivers and streams as of January 1, 2012! Please consider this ample warning that you will be ticketed if you are found to be violating this state-wide ban.

—————————————————————————–

Alaska is one of the first ot ban felt wading boots. Other state bans are coming in 2012 in the attempt to stop spread of invasive species.

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Colorado Fly Fishing Information

A day on the Dream Stream with Master Guide Landon Mayer is like a day in the gym. Landon is a big fish hunter. He prowls the stream like a cheetah running a gazelle to ground. Colorado’s Dream Stream is about 2 1/2 miles between Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Eleven Mile Reservoir. The fish are wild fish and move around a lot depending on stream flows, food supplies, cover and other stream conditions. Landon told me because the fish move so much, you have to move to find them.

Landon believes it is better to sight fish than blind fish. In that I would concur. Landon prowled the opposite bank from where he set my partner Joan McCord and myself in our first beat. Landon stopped indicating he had spotted a large brown holding between two weed beds. He had rigged me with a small baetis emerger top and a trico spinner bottom. I had caught a small rainbow on the trico earlier. I made some 2 to 3 dozen drifts toward the big brown without any success. Finally, the brown did a bulge rise just to give us the fin. Down and Up the stream during the morning without any big success. 

Just before lunch, Landon set Joan up along side a fast run between two rocks. The space was some 10 inches wide but was holding a huge brown. Joan worked this fish under Landon’s guidance for about a half hour. Then Landon went hunting upstream and set me up in a big pool – run with 3 large rocks in it. The pool dropoff held two Dream Stream monsters along with some smaller browns. (Smaller as in 15 to 18 inches).

As I watched Joan, I saw her set the rod on Big Boy. The rod bent deep into the butt section. Joan hollered for Landon but she lost the fish before he arrived at her beat.  So Landon headed downstream looking for fish. About 10 minutes later, Joan hollered for help. She had caught the big guy again. Landon ran up and started giving her instructions to follow the fish downstream. Joanie and Landon disappeared around the bend. Some 15 minutes later, they came back around the bend. I knew Joanie had gotten her big trout to the net by the smile on her face.

During the lunch break I saw the picture and the fish was a Hawg. After lunch, Joan fished the pool – run I was fishing. Landon took me upstream to a run with 2 large rocks in the middle and a fast seam on the far side from me. I tied on an #18 bwo emerger I use on Bear Creek as my tail fly. Working the seam and between the rocks for over 20 minutes, I finally hooked up with a small trout and lost it. Then right in a row hooked up with two larger fish in between the rocks. Both fish pulled upstream with a heavy bend in the rod from the fish and the salad hanging from the line. I lost both fish from horsing too much.

Another 15 drifts, I had a nice fish on during the rise to the surface along with a pound of salad on the line. This was definitely a trout as it headed downstream. Landon was right there telling me how to keep the rod high and to the right of my body while staying even with the fish as it was going downstream. Over and around rocks, through a deep bankside run I followed the fish hoping it would tire soon as my arm was burning.

Finally, it looked like the fish might be ready. I got its head up and on the surface. Landon had his guide net out and was reaching for the fish when it sensed the net. Downstream again for another 100 feet before he was ready again. This time Landon got him into the net. We picked off the remaining weeds before taking some pictures and letting him go. The fish took my #18 bwo emerger.

 This had been a perfect weather day, a perfect fishing day as both Joan and I had hooked a great fish and we were going home just as the weather started to blow a cold wind across the fields.

If you have not been on stream with Landon Mayer, treat your self to a trip with a Master Guide.
www.landonmayer.com  719-210-0619. Landon will cut years off your learning curve hunting big fish.

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing

My friend Michael and I fished from the last bridge parking lot south for about a mile. While fishing took work, we did catch fish. Mostly small 6 to 10 inch browns. Almost every riffle held several of these little guys. Tailouts on fast runs same thing. The strange thing was the undercut banks did not yield any fish of size. This does not mean they were not there but enticing them to strike was another subject.

While fishing this lower section, we talked to two guides from The Hatch fly shop in Pine Junction, CO. Both of their groups were catching fish but having to work for them. The first group, the fly of choice was a large size 8 or 10 Amys Ant with a red sparkle body.

 After lunch I fished just below the bridge for awhile without any luck. Fishing under the bridge yielded a nice 12 inch brown. Michael had hooked and lost a nice 12 or 13 inch rainbow just south of the bridge. 

We then moved upstream from the bridge. In the edge of a pool formed by a bank collapse, I hooked up with a nice 13 inch rainbow holding just over the edge of a sandbar. Upstream more small browns in the riffles.

Flies that worked for me. A two nymph rig with a small black mayfly emerger as the tail fly about 18 inches behind the point fly.

 As we were putting our gear away, I talked to another fisherman that had taken 3 nice browns 19 to 22 inches in the morning. So the big guys are still there.

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com

Download an Enrollment Form  Right Click and Save Target As to your Desktop. The file is in PDF format which is on most PCs. Print out the form and send it back to Robin Knox with a check payable to High Plains Drifters by 6/4/2011,

 See you at Kids Day

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Author
Successful Fly Fishing for Trout
www.successfulflyfishing.com

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.successfulflyfishing.com
A Try Before You Buy Book

 If you want a great guided trip stop in at Arkanglers. Greg, Carol Neville or any of the other guides will give you a quality experience.

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything You Need for Fly Fishing
Information and Affordable Fly Fishing Tackle

The International Sportman’s Expo ISE starts today 1/6 and runs through Sunday 1/9/11. The ISE showcases fly fishing, fishing, boats, hunting, camping and sports travel primarily. Many fly fishing notables from Colorado will be there such as Landon Mayer and Pat Dorsey. The ISE is a good place to see an over view of the outdoor recreation industry offerings.

The ISE Hours:
Thursday Noon to 9:00 pm
Friday, Noon to 9:00 pm
Saturday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

TICKETS
$15.00 Adult
FREE – Youth and Children 15 years and under
FREE – Active Military with military ID card  

Parking: FREE Parking & Shuttles at Coors Field. Ride light rail to the Convention Center station.

Complete information on the ISE or to buy Tickets Online.  ISE Denver

Tight Lines,

Be sure to stop by the Denise Lake Lodge booth at 421c and say hi to the Lodge Owners Elaine and Jim. The Denise Lake Lodge and B&B is located on the Kenai Peninsula near the town of Soldatna, AK. The Lodge offers fine food, great lodging and superior fishing experiences. Tell them Fly Fishing Colorado Referred you.

Marshall, Publisher
www.bestflyrods.com
Find your best fly rod here