Rise – The Movie – Free Showing at Denver ISE Show

Join the fun at the International Sportsmen’s Show – Denver

Colorado Trout Unlimited is proud to present the premiere of “Rise”, a fly-fishing film, in conjunction with the 33^rd annual International Sportsmen’s Exposition (ISE). Sponsored again by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, the ISE includes a 40,000-square-foot Discover Fly Fishing Center within the 290,000-square-foot show at the Colorado Convention Center. 

Free to show attendees, “Rise” will be shown in the breathtaking Upper Lobby D at the Colorado Convention Center Saturday,  January 9, at 6:30pm. Any donation to Colorado Trout Unlimited will be appreciated. 

The second full-length movie project from Confluence Films—“Drift” was released in 2008—“Rise” is the result of a partnership between director Chris Patterson of Warren Miller Entertainment and executive producer and writer Jim Klug of Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures. Patterson has been the director and head cinematographer for Warren Miller Ski Films for the past 18 years. Shot in high-definition 16mm motion-picture film, the 80-minute “Rise” presents viewers with a variety of segments and stories, each one a different profile of anglers, species and locations shot around the globe.

“Rise” destinations include: Venezuela, Idaho’s Henry’s Fork River, the Florida Keys, Argentina, New Orleans, and the Katmai Region of Alaska. Anglers featured are: Rene Harrop, Capt. Bruce Chard, Millie Paini, Tom Bie, Capt. Alex Griffin, Rance Rathie, Ron Sorensen, Mike Lawson, Travis Smith, Capt. Brian Carter, Jason Jagger, Marty Reid, and several others.

 The film’s sponsors include: Simms Fishing Products, Costa Del Mar, Hatch Reels and Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures.

Rise DVD’s will be available at our booth (SB2713) at the show or on our website .

See you at the show!!

Sage Fly Fishing Schools now at the Blue Quill Angler

The Blue Quill Angler and Sage Manufacturing have partnered together to offer the first ever Sage Fly Fishing School – Rocky Mountain Region which will offer anglers a wide range of educational opportunities to increase their knowledge and skill level. The Sage Fly Fishing School will offer new and seasoned anglers the opportunity to learn from experts in the field.

”We have selected the Blue Quill Angler as the first site for our flagship fly fishing school because of the talent and experience that they offer,” said Chris Anderson, Sales Manager at Sage. ”We also share a sincere and committed passion to fly fishing. As part of the passion, we absolutely want to get more people involved in the sport and believe that offering a World Class fishing school is one of the best ways to do that.”

At the Sage Fly Fishing School, anglers will have three classes to choose from based on their interest, skill level and scheduling needs. Two courses will focus on the basics of fly fishing, including entomology, fly selection, knot tying, fly casting, rod rigging, wading saftey and reading the water. One course will provide specific concentration on improving casting skills. All courses will feature equipment from Sage and teachers from the Blue Quill Anglers extensive stable of qualified guides and certified casting instructors.

”Sage, one of the largest fly rod manufactures in the world, makes some of the most popular fly rod in the West, is always bringing new technologies to their products to make them perform better,” explained Jim Cannon, co-owner of the Blue Quill Angler. ”We believe that same spirit of innovation will be evident in the courses we’ll be providing to anglers from all over the country. We couldn’t be more proud to be a part of Sage’s endeavors into angler education.”

Sage Fly Fishing School courses include:

Fly Fishing 101: Students will spend two weekday evenings in the classroom and one full day on the water. Class size will be limited to six students with one instructor. Cost is $150.00

Fly Fishing 201: Students will spend one full day in the classroom and one full day on the water. Class size will be limited to eight students with two instructors. Cost is $350.00

Advanced Casting School: Experienced anglers will spend one day with a Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF)-certified fly casting instructor to focus on their technique. Course instructors will use the Sage Casting Analyzer to identify areas of improvement for each student. This is a full day class with 8 students. Cost is $125.00

For more information on any of these classes or to schedule a date, give us a call at 800-435-5353 or send and email to sageschools@bluequillangler.com

Sage 99 Series 9′9″ 4 weight – 4 piece Specialized Nymphing Rod

One of the coolest rods we have seen in a while is the Sage 99 Series Nymphing Rods.  Here in Colorado the majority of the fishing we do is below the surface and finally a rod built for that.  You may ask what makes this rod different from a regular Sage Z Axis or Orvis Helios, well we asked Jerry Siem, the chief rod designer at Sage the same question.  We had no idea what we were in for and left that discussion with a better understanding of rod design and also came to the conclusion that Jerry is one passionate individual when it comes to fly rods.

 

 First off the rod is designed to flex more into the middle of the rod which created a wider loop when casting and will reduce the amount of time spent untangling those two and three fly rigs that have somehow mated with the yarn indicator.  Second, the tip is super stiff which provides a quick and powerful hook set as soon as the angler reacts and the butt section of the rod is like most Sage products, super stiff with the ability to stop the hardest charging fish.  The one thing that really blew me away was the thought process that went into the spacing of the guides. 

 

When you first look at the rod, you notice that most of the snake guides are pretty large to facilitate stack mending and shaking line out of the guides but the spacing of the guides as you get closer to the tip section is the real science in this rod. Jerry said he built 3 to 4 tip sections, each with different guide spacing near the tip to figure out what spacing combination would allow the line to shoot freely out of the guides while mending or shaking line out of the rod to extend the drift that few extra feet we are all looking for.  We were somewhat blown away by the though process that had gone into this rod and were also somewhat skeptical as to whether it would work. 

 

Our Sage Representative was kind enough to shoot us over the 9′9″ 4 weight 4 piece and we headed to the river. The first thing we noticed is that in fact, the rod does cast a more open loop and when we began mending, the line was flying out of the guides.  Our main concern was that the softer middle section of the rod would be a detriment in getting a good hook set even though the tip is fast.  Our concerns were proven wrong with the first of many Cheesman Canyon rainbows that day. All of the rod in this series are 9′ 9″ in length which give the angler better mending and high sticking capabilities without the cumbersome feeling of a 10′ rod. 

 

 Bottom Line: This is an incredible rod and for the angler looking for that nymphing specific stick, this is the one!

Simms G3 Guide Pant

We all loved the “original” Simms Classic Guide Pant, especially if you were guiding or fishing from a drift boat most of the time.  Easy to get in and out of and alot cooler that a chest high wader.  When that went away, that left a huge gap in most guides fishing attire so we just made due.  Simms made an o.k. attempt with the Rivertek pant but durability for hardcore anglers was an issue. 

In 2007, Simms introduced the G3 Convertible wader that was built along the same lines as the Simms G3 Guide Wader in the lower section but the upper was a lighter Gore-Tex fabric that could be stowed in the built-in belt portion of this wader and accessed via a zipper and the upper slid up the straps and attached in place via velcro tabs.  This is the wader most of us were looking for but found the convertible feature of this wader a real pain so we just took the scissors to the upper section and removed the straps making this more like the original Classic Guide Pant.  Hard to fathom cutting up a pair of $379.95 waders but when the upper was stored, it was very awkward when seated rowing a boat. 

Simms then introduced a true pant wader in 2008 called the Headwater Pant that was built with a 3-ply Gore-Tex lower with 5 layer panels in the front for added durability.  This was more like the original Classic Guide Pant but some were able to wear a pair of these out in less than two months of guiding as there are not as durable and the Simms G3 Convertible or the Simms G3 Guide Wader.  They are super light and really breathable, especially in the summer months but the door was still open for a “true” pant style wader that is bombproof.

The one nice thing about Simms is they poll the guides throughout the country and actually take the feedback and head to the drawing board to produce products that we are asking for.  In Spetember, 2009 at the Fly Fishing Retailer show, Simms introduced the G3 Guide pant which incorporated the lower section of a G3 Guide wader with some added features like a RiRi waterproof front zipper at the fly and two angled pockets with YKK waterproof zippers.  There is a tab that snaps at the front and the integrated wading belt with elastic in the waist for an incredible fit.  Of the first thing we had to do was try them on and see how they fit.  All I can say is, “thank you Simms for listening and making a pant style wader that will stand up to the abuse we guides can dish out”.

Availability on this wader is looking like March 2010 but there may be a few pair that sneak out of the factory in Bozeman before then so stay tuned!!

RIO Trout LT (Light Touch) Fly Line

When it comes to delicate presentations to selectively rising trout, the RIO Selective Trout II fly line was the perfect choice.  Long front taper that landed that #20 Blue Wing Olive Pullover Emerger right where you wanted it.  This was a great line and when we heard that it was being discontinued in leu of the Rio Trout LT (Light Touch) there was some mumble and grumble as to whether we would be downgrading to a line that would not perform the same, but it is RIO and they are definitely obsessed with your next cast.

We received one of the Rio Trout LT (Light Touch) line in a WF4F and immediately spooled it up, paired it with the Sage ZXL 9′ 4 weight – 4 piece and headed to Clear Creek.  The fist thing we noticed was the line was two-tone (our sample was beige/sage) which according to RIO changes colors at the optimal load point for most rods which is around 30′.  On the water, the line casted like no other RIO line we have had in our hands and floated like a champ.  The most noticable thing was how easy this line mended and the tip floated all day.  This is mainly due to the AgentX coating on the line which is a dual-density coating that has a specific gravity less than water and the the Super Floatation Technology which like RIO states, “it will keep the line floating” works like a champ. The most impressive feature of this line is how well it loaded the rod at really short distances and when we needed to stretch one out, the line had enough head weight to properly load the rod.

In conclusion, RIO has hit another home run with this line across the board.  If you are looking for a dry fly line or a line for slower action rods, definitely check this offering out from RIO

Titan Rod Vault – Rod Transport System

A wonderful friend of the shop Doug Bode, owner of Titan Rod Vault, has come up with a strong, safe and secure rod storage system, that easily mounts to the top of your vehicle. This makes things really easy as you can rig your rod(s) prior to leaving the house and they are ready to go when you get to the river.  If you are working a section of river that gets a little crowded and you want to move to another location, just slide the rod inside of the Titan Rod Vault and head out without worrying if they are going to blow off of the rack of slide out from underneath the windshield wiper.

This rod transport system has been well thoughout, designed with top notch materials and will last a lifetime.  They will protect your rod investment and make your day of fishing alot more enjoyable.

For more information visit – Titan Rod Vaults or give us a call at 800-435-5353.  We all use them and love em!!!

Ross Evolution LT

Well, we all heard the news the tried and true Ross Evolution that we have all come to love was being discontinued.  Some shops held on to their stock and others were blowing them out at rock bottom prices.  We were somewhat indecisive as to what to do but we felt that if Ross was making a change to this reel, it has to be an improvement although we wondered how? 

We laid eyes on the new version, the Ross Evolution LT this past week at Fly Fishing Retailer and I think all were pleasantly surprised at the outcome.  This reel has has a major overhaul when it comes to machining.  Ross always does a really great job in this category but they have really outdone themselves here.  The entire spool, body and even the reel seat have been redone to shave weight and they replaced the Derlin plastic drag adjustment knob and spool release with anodized aluminum for added durability and corrosion resistance.  The internal drag that was the most attractive part of the old Evolution remains the same and feels better than ever.

It is going to be hard to wait until November for this reel but it will be well worth it!!

Simms Star Cleats for Vibram Soles

Most anglers who have purchased the new Simms Vibram soled boots have also purchased the HarbBite Studs to go with them including myself.  The offer that added traction on those super slippery rocks we have all come to hate.  I got wind of a new cleat in the works that will work in conjunction with the Vibram soles so I made a call to Simms to get the scoop.  After an in depth conversation Simms was gracious enough to shoot down a couple of pair of the new Star Cleatsdeveloped exclusively for the Vibram 360 StreamTread soles for us to test out and send feedback on.

I am a big fan of the new sole with and without the studs and I did not see it getting any better, well I have been wrong before and here I stand, wrong again.  The instructions that Simms gave me were to put three cleats in the forefoot and two in the heel.  Of course I asked why and was told that the new cleat acts like three of the studs due to the star design and its ability to work with the sole since it is almost flush mounted in the open receptacle between the treads.  I was completely blown away at the amount of traction this set-up gave me in an out of the river.  When you need the cleats to work they do where I have found the studs to be slippery in certain situations because the stick out farther and do not allow the sole to come in contact with the rocks. 

Simms has a real winner here and if you want your Vibram boots to perform at their best in all conditions, the new Star Cleats are a must.  You will most likely not want to get in your buddy’s raft with them but and risk a puncture but  I wore them in a drift boat with no damage at all.  Your best bet is to still remove any and all studs prior to entering any type of boat and since there are only 5 cleats per boot, you can remove them in a matter of minutes.

2009 Teva Mountain Games Costa Del Mar 2 Fly X-Stream Fly Fishing Competition

This past weekend was the 8thannual Teva Mountain Games over in Vail, Colorado which is a gathering of 21 diciplines of mountain events like kayaking, trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing as well as fly fishing.  Steve Parrott, the shop manager of the Blue Quill went over to compete in the Costa Del Mar 2 Fly X-Stream competition which begins with an accuracy round of casting at three targets at varying distances and a distance cast.  The competitors get three attempts at each target for points and then three attempts at a distance cast that has to stay within a 10′ lane.  The competition this year took 75 anglers in round one and narrowed it down to 20 that will go on to round two.  The wind was calm in the morning with forcasted winds of 25 to 30 mph around noon.  Steve drew a late start time so when he stepped up to the line, he was battling steady winds of 20 mph withgust up to 30.  This made it tough to hit the targets but Steve was able to advance on to the second round with a 17th place finish.  According to Steve, “this was one of the worst rounds of casting that I have ever had and I hope to never repeat it again, but in the end I am off to round two with a clean slate”. 

Round two moves the casters to the pedestrian bridge over Gore Creek in Vail casting at various targets on land and in the water.  The casting order is reversed so the 20th caster goes first which meant that Steve was the fourth caster to go.  He managed to score 7 points out of a possible 15 which is a good score but according to Steve, he was not sure that would get him in the top eight to go fishing on Sunday.   As the rest of the casters took their turn, the scores were low and odds were looking pretty good that Steve would make it to the final round.  As the 13th caster left the bridge, Steve still had the highest points total and was in on Sunday.  The winner of round two had a final score of 9 and two other casters had a score of 8.  That left Steve with a 4th place finish in round two and guaranteed him a spot in the second boat down the river.

The finals were to be held on the Eagle River but with the high flows from runoff, the Eagle was not floatable so the decision was made to go to the Colorado River and float from Pumphouse to Radium.  The format here is the caster with the highest score out of round two gets first choice of boat position and so on.  The rules of the finals are each angler is allowed 6 flies but one of the patterns has to be different.  You can have 3 of one pattern and 3 of a different kind or 5 of one and 1 different.  Which ever way you choose to go is fine as long as one pattern is different.  Eash fish caught counts as one point and if you catch a decent size fish, you have the ability to tell the guide to measure that fish and you get points for the length as well as one point for the fish.  For example, if you land a 17" fish and tell the guide to measure it, that one fish total is 18 points.   The big part of this is that you only have 6 flies to fish with and when they are gone, the game is over.

Steve ended up in the second boat, back seat.  The boats are sent down the river in 15 minute intervals and have about two hours to fish this section.  Once completed, they take the boat out and drive back to Pumphouse put-in and repeat the same floatswapping boat positions with the other angler. 

In the first float down, Steve managed to net 8 fish and measured a 17″ brown trout for a total of 25 points.  They took the boat out and drove back to the put-in and Steve was in the front this time.  The second float is a little tougher because there have been 8 anglers fishing this water in the competition not to mention the recreational anglers and guided trips that are taking place at the same time.  During the second float, Steve managed to land 6 more fish for a total of 31 points.  According to Steve, ” I had alot of hook-ups that I lost right at the boat trying to get them into the net.  The wind was blowing 25 mph directly upstream which blew the line all over the place and the fish would just pop off”. 

Now the waiting begins as the anglers and guides are not allowed to discuss the totals because there is a weigh-in back in the Vail Village to determine the winner.  With all of the anglers on pins and needles, the promoter Rick Messmer steps up on the stage and begins the ceremony.  The 8thplace angler was called with one fish that was 16″, the 7thplace angler was called with a total of 2 fish, the 6thplace angler was called with 3 fish and a 16.5″ fish measured, the 5th place angler was called with one 19.5 ” fish measured, the 4th place angler had one fish that was 20″.  Steve was in the top three again this year (Steve finished 3rd overall in the 2008 TevaMountain Games).  The 3rd place angler had 7 fish to the net and measured a 15″fish so Steve new he had bettered his 2008 performance by at least one spot.  Now the tension was really thick with only two anglers left, Brian Capsay from Fly Fishing Team USA and Steve.  Rick announced the second place had a 17″ fish measured and 8 fish to the net which meant that Steve had finally pulled it off and won the 2009 Teva Mountain Games Costa Del Mar 2 Fly X-Steam competiton.  

Congratulations to all the angler and to Steve for pulling it off in the fishing portion and making us all proud here at the Blue Quill

My Arm is “ICY HOT”

An "Icy Hot" Rainbow from Antero Res.

I usually don’t count fish or even measure or weigh them, but now and then I have a day where I get to wondering, ” How many fish did I really Catch” ? Or say to myself, ” That fish must of been at least 24 inches”. At that point I remind myself  it’s really not about numbers or size, but honestly it is nice to catch allot of fish and to be honest, it is really great to catch a really big fish, at least now and then.
Such a day I had at Antero Reservoir this past Wednesday when I went fishing with two of my favorite people, Joe Shafer and Jerry Vigil, who just happen to guide for the Blue Quill Angler. They picked me up at 3:30 AM and we arrived at  Antero Res at sunup.  After blowing up our Outcast float tubes we flipped on out to where the water was between 12 and 15 feet deep. It was pretty slow until around 9:00 AM and then ” all heaven broke loose”. We began getting strikes continually untill  4:30 PM when the wind came up. So without counting we had one “quadruple”.  A “quadruple” is when all three of us were hooked up at the same time, and then the first guy who “hooked up” released his fish and cast out and hooked a fourth fish. We had over 20 triples, 40 doubles, and uncountable singles. So, how many fish did we catch and release? Well, at some point it really doesn’t matter. It became an ICY HOT experience and we had to break out the Extra Strength Pain Relieving Cream to treat the burning arm muscles.
In the early morning, Joe and Jerry showed me how to “rig up” using a strike indicator, 14 feet of level 2x tippet, a split shot and three nymphs. Effective flies were #16 Midge Pupae patterns, Scuds, and Bead Head Hares Ears. This set up worked all day. I am sure we caught over __________fish. But who’s counting?  After a while it just became “ICY HOT”!

Jim Cannon