Quality Outing

There are definitely some very nice fish in the catch and release section of Blue River.  This past Friday would serve as a day I would meet some quality fish, fish with quality friends, and have quality weather to enjoy.

Thursday evening Michael Mercurio gave me a ring saying he was coming to Blue on Friday to fish the catch and release.  I had already scheduled a day of vacation to fish Blue, but had no plans on making the journey north.  However, upon learning Merc was coming I wanted to spend time fly fishing with him.

When I arrived at the corrals Friday morning, Merc was still a half hour or so away.  I went ahead and started the walk because I knew my sea legs simply weren't with me as of yet.  When I got to the river I begin fishing the middle section.  On the very first cast I took a pretty little bow and that fish would be the only one I would take a picture of.  I try to get these creatures back in the water as soon as I can and on Friday and in doing this practice I almost screwed up royally.  I would end up releasing a fish too early and fortunately when Merc saw the trout listing to the starboard side he was able to net it and revive it completely.  Thanks amigo.

 

After catching several bows in the middle I travelled to the top and this is where some quality trout showed themselves.  The first bow I would meet was a beautiful 16 inch lass taken on a brown bugger.  Switching to a pink Frenchie at first and later a chartreuse Frenchie, I would find seven more pretty Rainbow trout.  When action slowed on the Frenchie patterns a size 20 Zebra Midge was the ticket.

 

I didn't know Merc had arrived and was having an outstanding morning in the middle.  He has held a long time strategy of fishing buggers early and nymphs later in the day and that strategy always seems to work for him.  He landed several 16 inch plus fish and one that would push five pounds. 

 

 

Late mid-morning it was our pleasant surprise to run into Byron Dowd.  Byron had began in the middle also catching several and then headed to the top from where I had just finished.  I had to leave a couple of hours earlier than Merc and Byron were planning on leaving, but Merc sent me a report that Byron did very well at the top. 

 

Merc would send me a pic with the message "Quitting on this one", and ended what can be best described as an outstanding day. 

 

 

Fly fishing is more than simply catching fish.  Much of the fly fishing experience is enjoying the resource you are visiting and discovering as much as you can.  I found one of the springs that help nourish Blue River and took a short video.