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Add Front_Range_Anglers@mail.vresp.com to your
News Magazine ~ December 2009
Click here for a free subscription or to
Bill
Leuchten, Owner ~ Rob Kolanda, Area Manager ~ Jon Spiegel, Area Manager
~ Jay Zimmerman, Area Manager ~ Russ Miller, Webmaster ~ Paul Prentiss,
Customer Communications,
Larry Jurgens, Instruction Services ~ Patrick Knackendoffel Guide/Staff
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IN THIS EDITION |
 Hello all:
I returned to Chassahowitzka this year, a nature
preserve 45 minutes north of Tampa FL. I don't know what Chassahowitzka stands
for, but it must be a Native American term for really super quiet. This
35,000sq acre nature preserve is truly devoid of sound; I could only hear a
residual soft ringing in my ears from living in normal society and oh yeah, a
house with 3 little kids. There were miles of dark oyster bed flats that hold good populations
of Redfish, Trout, Ladyfish and other species. I caught some fish but like most
saltwater destinations, conditions are key. If there is limited sunlight and a
little wind, you can't see the fish and they refuse to tail so you can go through hours
of spooking fish and never getting a shot at them. After spooking dozens of
Redfish, I finally hooked this guy by spotting him on lighter colored sand which
allowed me to see him before we sent him scurrying. Saltwater Toad patterns in
black and orange work well and this one took the fly before it got an inch below
the surface. Here is my guide whom I would recommend: www.shallowwaterflyfishing.com
Thanks for reading and for your continued support.
Have a great holiday,
Bill
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| FISH TALES |
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The angler with a great big smile is Matthew Flight (age 11). This was his very first brown trout taken from Boulder Creek. What a great moment that his father, Jim, captured on film. We know that Matthew will never forget this day and this trout. Over the years he will reflect back on the moment he became a life long fly fisherman. |
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Chris Heslop is showing off a 6-pound Blue Rainbow caught at the end of November at Swanswater Fishery near Stirling, Scotland. "The weather was cold and very misty at the time. I caught it on an olive damsel nymph that I tie with red eyes fished on an intermediate line. That fly got me 3 fish on the day." |
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KEEP ON SENDING US YOUR PHOTOS & STORIES |
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Pictured above is Tony Ham who manages the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (Shark Control Program) in Australia with a nice Travellay estimated to weigh 50-pounds
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Marc Alexander tells us that the big Rainbow came from Silver Creek in Arizona's White Mountains and the Coho is from Alaska |
There is no way that Dan Fink is going to let his first Steelhead swim off without a picture. The 18 lb hen came from the Damdochax River in BC. "I suddenly see why folks get addicted to chasing these incredible fish! Caught October 12 2009 on a #2 purple flash eggsucking leech that I tied myself." 
See where we have been over the last few weeks as we transitioned from unseasonably warm temps to the frigid cold that Colorado has been experiencing.
Photos by: R.Miller |
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FRA Fish Porn Contest Win a custom Bragging Rights illustration from artist Mike Savlen ready for framing (1st. place), a TFO TiCr fly rod of your choice (2nd. place), and any RIO fly line you might like (3rd. place).
Mike creates these new original paintings with digital brushes that are custom replicas of brushes he uses in his studio. These new paintings are created using his unique style and the techniques that have taken him forty years to perfect...click here for additional information
There are no restrictions other than the photo must include a fish (any species). The image file(s) (you may submit more than one) must be in a JPG or TIFF format and of good quality. The FRA staff will vote on the submissions and the winners will be announced in the April News Magazine. Entries must be received on or before March 15, 2010. Click here to attach your photo to an email. |
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Talking about Pictures
Patrick Clayton has released a whole new series of underwater shots which are absolutely stunning. Patrick's photography in this arena is without equal. Click here to see his latest offerings |
| The FRA Christmas List |
Click Here
We have put together a "wish list" that has gifts for first time anglers, fishermen who have it all, and the gifts start as low as $5.99. There is something for everyone in our 2009 Holiday Guide. |
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What about asking Santa to turn back the clock to summer for a couple of days...click here |
| REEL NEWS |
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This reference book was prepared by Tom Pero, the publisher of Wild River Press, with photos by Ted Fauceglia. The 100 patterns and recipes are organized by category. Rob Kolanda of Front Range Anglers, Al Ritt, Ray Chang, and Bruce Olsen provided recommendations on content and designed many of the patterns. Probably the most difficult aspect of putting a book like this together was trying to choose among the hundreds of truly effective flies commonly used in Colorado. |
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This year the tour officially kicks off in January and hard and firm dates will be posted on their site December 1st of this year. There will be upward of 40 stops in major cities and 50 other independent promoters of the tour in smaller cities, put on by fly shops and groups like TU for all you folks who don't live near near the regular tour towns... Everyone who shows up will get a free fishpond hat ($20 value) and tickets can be bought online for $14 or $12 dollars at your local fly shop. Click here for the current schedule |
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Jeff Currier
Jeff Currier has been a long time associate and key management associate in Jack Dennis Sports. Just like Jack he has concluded that "retail is no fun" and is leaving the operation after 23 years. He will be focusing his considerable talent and energy energies on his art, travel, and speaking engagements. You can keep up with him on his blog...click here |
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US Bureau of Reclamation Taking Heat on Fryingpan
Click here for more
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Drought Assessment The nationwide multiyear drought, which was at its worst in 2002 and continued until last year, is over. Across the West, formerly parched pastures, dry streams and low reservoirs have been replaced with soggy fields and flooded grasslands. The USA is now in the least amount of drought since monitoring began 10 years ago, said climatologist Brian Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Center.
 click on the mapLast week, about 75% of the country showed no drought, the largest since the U.S. Drought Monitor was created in 1999, Fuchs said. At the drought's peak in July 2002, about 72% of the country was in drought, according to the Drought Monitor.
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Competitive Fly Fishing
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Russ Blessing
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| DOWN STREAM |
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What to look for in upcoming issues of the Front Range Anglers News Magazine |
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| ANGLERS THAT CARE |
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Didymo is easily spread to uncontaminated waterways. If even one cell of didymo is transported to clean waters, it can become contaminated with the species. It is easily spread by infected recreational equipment with felt soled wading boots leading the list. What can you do? Give some serious thought to replacing your felt soled wading boots or at the very least adding a pair of non-felt sole boots. In either event one must inspect and disinfect gear - click here
Colorado streams reported as now having Didymo:
Arkansas River Blue River Cache La Poudre Castle creek - Elk Mountains Colorado River Head waters Copper Creek - Elk Mountains Chihuahua Gulch Eagle River East River - Crested Butte other numerous Creeks around Crested Butte Frying Pan Below Ruedi Gore Creek inside Vail city limits Black Gore Creek Peru Creek Piney River St. Vrain
Boulder Creek
It would not be surprising if felt soled boots are banned on western rivers in the near future.
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Interesting Stats on Fishing/Fishermen
--Fishing is the most popular "gateway activity" that attracts individuals to the outdoors. Freshwater fishing is the most popular type of fishing with more than 40 million participants (2008) followed by saltwater fishing. Source Study prepared by The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation |
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DO SOMETHING TO SAVE ONE OF THE GREATEST FISHERIES IN THE WORLD |
| TIPS & TECHNIQUES |
 Simon Gawesworth works for RIO Products and lives in Idaho with his family. He is one of the most sought after fly casting instructors in the world. At 16 he began teaching the art of fly fishing while becoming the British Junior casting champion which he repeated at 17. In the years that followed Simon broke seven casting records and won the adult casting championships three times in succession, representing England in two European and one World Team Championships. Turning to competitive fly fishing he representing England in three home internationals, two European championships and five World Championships, culminating in the prestige of becoming the England Team Captain and Manager for the 2003 World Championships in Spain. Simon is a well published author and world renowned Spey casting expert. His knowledge about fly line design is unparalleled.
The Bonefish illustrations in Simon's article were provided by Jason Jagger. Raised in Steamboat Springs, he has guided in Argentina, Chile, Colorado, and Iceland. Jason is a self-taught photographer who started taking pictures in 2005. He has worked with Orvis, Rio,and others. His forte is to get unique images of flyfishing, fish feeding naturally. To see more of Jason's work click here.
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In most cases I like to fish two or more flies....here's how I rig them . The knots are below
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This video will raise your heart rate if you chase the Silver King...click here
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Abel Refurbishing Service
Abel can now strip the existing finish on a reel and restore it from dings, scratches, scrapes and the ravages of time. Additionally, Abel now has the ability to change an existing older black reel to any desired color or fish graphic. Conbsiderable time, energy, and cost went into developing this process due to customer requests. This is yet another example of how able goes the extra mile! Click here if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity.
If you're in the market for a very high quality large arbor reel the new Super Series Quick Change ought to be on the list!
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 Wild White BassBill Butts - Fly Fisher/Fly Tier/Fly Fishing Mentor Bill Butts loves white bass - they're hard hitting and put on a tough fight. Find out from Bill what it takes to catch these great freshwater sport fish on a fly. More about Bill Butts... Click Here to ask Bill Butts any questions you have about fly fishing for white bass. |
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Brian Schmidt's Drymerger
The first time I encountered this fly was when Brian was working at Front Range Anglers. He's now with Umpqua Feather Merchants and his pattern is commercially available through them. Its simple, easy to tie, and very deadly. When BWO's are out and about this is a fly you should have in your box in sizes 16 to 22. Learn how to tie it....click here |
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The British Fly Fishing Fair showcases some of the world’s best fly tiers and celebrities.... click here to see what happened during the event that took place on November 7 and 8, 2009.
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Click here to watch Pine squirrels' extra thin hides and hair density make it possible to tie zonkers and matuka size flies down to size 14. The extra thin hide and soft undulating hairs make for a seductive action that cannot be duplicated with any other material on such a small size fly.
In this video Charles Barton is demonstrating how to tie one of the many streamer patterns using this versatile material. This video is brought to you in collaboration with Reel Media who creates The Weekly Fly
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| FIELD TRIALS |
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I've used a lot of different lines for Carp, but I'll tell you straight up this is far and away my favorite. Why? First off, I like the olive green color and slick finish. Second, I like the taper - a 40 foot head with a 7 foot front end. It lays out nicely with plenty of distance and not much disturbance. I fish the 6-weight version on an old 8.5-foot Sage RPL+ 5-weight. This last spring/summer I fished this outfit at least 40 times and would strongly recommend the product....Paul Prentiss Click here to order one of these lines for the 2010 Carp season. |
| THE DEEP END |
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"Ok, so you can do the foxtrot....how about the tango?" |
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"I'll tell you what...I'll fix breakfast and you get the boats ready" |
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A must see...click on the picture |
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Win 2 dozen flies in an FRA Fly Box!
The Basalt town government, Ruedi Water and Power Authority, and fishing guides want a detailed review and explanation of the reclamation bureau's releases from Ruedi Reservoir. The releases created 
George Daniel took first place at the 2009 U.S. Fly Fishing Championship on Pennsylvania's Fishing Creek. Lance Egan of Utah finished second to the Pennsylvania native, who has been the team leader in recent years.
Russ Blessing, the originator of the Wooly Bugger, passed away after a battle with cancer. Mr. Blessing's simple and prolific contribution to the sport of fly fishing, the Wooly Bugger, will live on in angler's fly boxes and tyers vises.
"Didymosphenia geminata, commonly referred to as "didymo", is a freshwater microscopic diatom. it attaches to the streambed by a stalk. These stalks have a rough texture similar to wet wool and mimic strands of toilet paper, as opposed to other algal species which feel slimy".....US Environmental Protection Agency
Small streamers and nymphs can be
constructed almost entirely out of pine squirrel. This is also an
excellent material to use for crawfish patterns and as tails on nymph
patterns.
At the beginning of the 2009 season I purchased one of RIO's new carp lines. I'd seen the product at the Retailer's Show in 2008 and got a pretty good sales pitch so I thought I'd give it go.
Fishermen are born optimists..."I'm sure we have plenty of space in back for Bruce and Mark."