Great Spring Fishing and Good Food

Despite heavy winds for the past month, spring fishing has been tremendous.  Right now we are experiencing a smorgasboard of bugs with Golden Stones, BOW larva and emergers, Caddis Pupae and Larva and Adult BWOs and Caddis.  If you can't find something in there to make you happy, you should take up golf.  We don't have a Caddis blow up yet, but it is definitely close and no one really cares because fish production has been terriffic and dry fly fishing late in the day is very, very good with everything from an Elk Hair Caddis to a Royal Wulff.  If you want to add a good entre for lunch on the river try my Mom's fried bologna sandwich and a Lipitor as a side. (Actually a cold Dos XXs is better tasking but the cholesterol drug may be more appropriate.)

Mom’s Fried Bolony Sandwich

This sandwich is not for the weak of heart and may require a couple of Lipitor before eating, but it stills rules the campground lunch menu.

Use toasted white bread…..don’t get cute with the bread thing, stay traditional.  Lightly score the edges of a ½ inch thick piece of all meat bologna and fry it until the edges are brown in an iron skillet.  Use crisp Iceberg Lettuce, slices of fresh tomato, a slice or two of Longhorn cheddar or Tillamook cheddar, salt and pepper on the tomato, and a big dollop of mayonnaise.  A fresh jalapeno or Serrano along with a cold Dos XXs or a big glass of iced tea makes this a lunch you’ll want more than once.

Dry Fly Fishing Here At Last

I am not ashamed to admit that I prefer dry fly fishing to nymphing any day of the week.  I also like wet flies just under the surface, so if a fish is in the top foot of the water column, he's mine.  If he's goes below that, you can have him.  Effectively speaking, that philosophy takes away about 80 % of the fish catching opportunity.  I've been fly fishing 52 years and I know all about fish, especially big fish feeding on or near the bottom and I will readily admit that nymphing is much more productive than surface fishing for that very reason.  I just don't care!  I fish because I enjoy seeing a trout tip it's nose up out of the water and take my fly.  I like to see the spray off the fly line as I lift it slowly to set the hook.  Without that, I'm missing something.  I don't mind fishing #24 dry flies as opposed to big ones; it's the take that's stunning.  So now we enter my season, the season of top water feeding and I'm a happy man.  Watching a trout rise is one of the most artful events of nature.  I literally live for it.  You may think I'm a sick man and I probably am.  I am convinced that God made trout to rise and he made single malt scotch for me to sip while I watch.

Make it to spring with Mexican Bar b Que

As per request, here is one of the tastiest things I cook and it is perfect for fly fishing trips.

Barbacoa

Three pound boneless chuck roast

Three tablespoons red chili powder (heat determined by you, I like Hatch hot.  All the chili I use can be

                                                            purchased at www.thechilishop.com in Santa Fe.)

One tablespoon onion powder

One tablespoon garlic powder

One tablespoon Cumino (Mexican Cumin)

One small can of Chipotle in Adobo sauce

One teaspoon sea salt

One teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Barbacoa can be prepared a hundred different ways just like our Barbeque.  This recipe is one done in a crock pot that I came up with about 25 years and it’s not appreciably different that those that take a day to prep and a day to cook.  Prepare a dry rub with the chili, onion powder, garlic powder, Cumino, salt, and pepper.  Massage the roast with the rub until it is bright red.  Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and then in aluminum wrap and put it in the fridge for two or three days.  When you’re ready to cook it, pour two cups of water in your crock pot and put the roast in it.  Cover the top of the roast with the Chipotles and turn it on low for about 10 hours.  Pull the beef with two forks and serve it in tortillas, with eggs, on a piece of bread or straight up with a cold beer of choice.

Chicken Cordon Bleu on the Grill

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Portabella Sauce

With Roasted

Yellow Squash, Onions and Red Peppers

Boneless Chicken Breasts

Tillamook Swiss Cheese Slices

Black Forest ham

Salt and Pepper

Sliced Baby Portabellas

½ chopped onion

4 chopped cloves garlic

1 cup of white wine

1 cup chicken stock

Yellow Squash

Red Onion

Red Bell peppers

To make the chicken, cut a pocket in the narrow end of the breast without cutting through the sides.  Stuff the pocket with small pieces of cheese and ham, closing the end with a toothpick.  Grill on a hot surface to protect juices.  Slice the portabellas, onion, and garlic and sauté them in olive oil until glazed, then pour in the stock and wine and let simmer.  Simply slice the squash, onions, and peppers and place them on a cookie sheet.  Salt and pepper to taste and brush with a light coating of olive oil.  Cook them in a 400 degree oven uncovered until tender.  I like this dish served with cornbread stuffing or mashed potatoes. 

Denver Fly Fishing Show.....One of the Best Ever

We just returned from the Denver Fly Fishing Show and I can honestly say that except for the Sunday snow day, it was one of the best crowds ever.  Larry, Taylor and I have full houses in our destination presentations as well as our seminars.  People spent money, booked trips and seemed to have a great time.  It's always hard to say what bearing economic conditions have on shows like this, but from what I saw, folks are tired of being down and out and want to get outside and fish.  Granted, unfortunately lots of people are still out of work, but this crowd seemed to reject that as an issue.  I talked to folks who hadn't worked in over a year, but they scraped up the entry ticket and came to enjoy the seminars and talk about fly fishing.  The ones who did have jobs spent money.  I am not an economist and don't really know what to make of the deal, but all I know is that even the people without work were happy and that says a lot for our sport.  I have used fly fishing to get through all kinds of speed bumps in my life and I think we are all doing just that.  Rivers and fish are an indication that God gives us much more than money to make our lives worth living......perhaps doing without so much cash helps us understand that even more.  The old year is over and spring is right around the corner.  Stoneflies in the Arkansas will begin molting in 5 or 6 weeks.  That should give me time to get a few nymphs tied up if I don't procrastinate too much.  If I do procrastinate and drink too much single malt, I'll just depend on my Gonzo Compadre, Larry Kingrey to tie some for me.  They'd be 10 times better than mine anyway.  Thank God he works for food  (and drink).

Bill's Chili Verde

This is a pure green chili gravy or sauce without meat to be eaten alone, on eggs, burritos or an old shoe if you like.  It makes everything better.

1 lb. ground pure pork sausage, mild

1 lb ground beef 80/20

1 lb roasted, chopped Hatch or Chimayo Green Chiles, hot or mild to taste

5 tbls. green chili powder

4 tbls. flour

1 tbls. coarse ground garlic powder

1 tbls. onion powder

4 tbls. canola oil

1 tbls. sea salt

1 tbls. coarse ground black pepper

4 cups water or chicken broth (use broth if you can) 

Brown sausage and ground beef together until done in an iron skillet.  Remove meat and put aside for filling in a burrito or enchilada.  The rendering should produce a little over a tablespoon of grease so add 4 tablespoons of canola oil and bring to a medium heat.  Whisk in flour to form a rue and cook until golden, then add chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder.  Whisk until smooth and add water or broth and bring to a boil.  Continue to whisk vigorously while bringing to a boil, then add salt and black pepper to taste and stir in fresh roasted chilies.  Simmer as long as you want, but at least two hours and get after it.

My Backyard During Winter

In looking at the long range weather forecasts, we are slated for warmer than normal temperatures this winter.  The Arkansas from Canon City to its headwaters, can be pretty icy in January and February, but may not be so much this year if that prediction holds out.   If we experience warming trends in late February, then early March can be excellent.  This is the time that stonefly nymphs begin to molt and that process literally turns on the switch for spring fishing.  Baetis nymphs begin to appear in mid March by adding the option of dry fly fishing with something other than Midges by the end of the month.  I love March fishing due to the fact that Southern Colorado can experience some really beautiful days and most people are still skiing instead of fishing.  Put the upper Arkansas on your March calendar.  Nymphing with Golden Stones, Rubberleg Stones, big Princes, and Baetis nymphs can lead to spectacular results.  Warmer overcast or snowy days can produce terrific Midge and BWO hatches.  Without a doubt, this river can be spring nymphing at its best.  Give the new habitat improvements a try on the riverwalk in Canon City.  This could be spectacular in late February and March.

The Arkansas below Pueblo Reservoir can provide a good winter fishing fix.  Even though it is not a “traditional” tailwater (it is not rated as quality water and bait fishing is allowed), you can have a lot fun catching big numbers of stocked Rainbows and a few Browns that can make your day.  Baetis hatches occur here almost every day during winter months and can really take off in March.  A #22 Parachute Adams or Hi Vis Baetis will do the trick. Most folks don’t think of the Arkansas as being all that productive this time of year, but if you will make a few calls and watch the weather reports you can be rewarded with some really good early season fly fishing.