Guiding season with Blue Quill Angler for 2022

 

Brandon Mcilroy with a magnificent brown trout.

As the year is winding down for 2022, what a great guiding season it has been with Blue Quill Angler!  Great enjoyment meeting some of the nicest anglers in the Denver, Colorado area and throughout the states.  Blue Quill Angler guides with some spectacular rivers including the S. Platte River with Deckers, Cheesman Canyon, the Arkansas River, Colorado River, Dream Stream, Blue River, Clear Creek, Bear Creek, and some of the best private waters:  Shawnee Meadows, Rawhide, Abell River Ranch, and Troublesome Canyon, and many other waters.

Peyton Mcilroy was so thrilled to catch this rainbow.

The Womens Introduction to Fly Fishing Class has made me realize how much there are women who really want to learn and get out on the rivers to fly fish!  Teaching this class was such a privilege to get ladies excited about fly fishing and the necessities it takes to learn to become a great angler.  I am so overjoyed with ladies who had success with taking this class!  That is a sign for these ladies new in the sport, they too can be successful!

Cat's Fireball Leech.

When I think about guiding, I realized I have tied for nearly all of my guide trips.  I truly believe being a great fly fishing guide for me, is being consistent with fly tying and tying to match the hatch.  Don't get me wrong, I am not able to tie for all trips, but it has kept me keen with the entomology throughout the season.  Some of my own flies have hit the gong on days on the river.  A day of enjoyment, the gorgeous rivers, and catching beautiful trout does not get any better.

Phil Iwane's No Mercy Midge.

Featured river guest on this blog are only some of the many great guide trips I have had this season.  It was difficult to narrow down the those who are highlighted.  Each trip was so much fun fishing with some of the nicest people.  I really am excited for next season.

Stephen Jordan learned how to Euro nymph for the first time with great success.

A great summer it was and with meeting Stephen Jordan from San Diego.  We had an extremely productive Euro nymphing full day trip.  Euro nymphing requires patience in learning as well as being on your game the entire time you fish.  It isn't easy as people may think to learn, but it is pretty exhilarating once one gets the hang of it.

Jennifer Bracht did well with her river day with the Women's Introduction to Fly Fishing.

I had the pleasure to teach the Women's Introduction to Fly Fishing this summer.  Every week, I met some of the most fun women who wanted to learn fly fishing.  Jennifer really wanted to learn and become independent as an angler on the river. The Women's Introduction to Fly Fishing is an evening of class up at Blue Quill Angler, followed by a half day session on the river at Deckers.  I really enjoyed seeing her and many of the other ladies who took this class, have success on river day. 

Ashley Falcon and Hannah Robinson did incredibly well first time on the river fly fishing.

For beginners, it seems the most difficult part with fly fishing is how to set the hook and keep the fish on.  Set downstream and bring that rod tip up.  Pointing rod tip down towards the water is the next thing wrong.  While I may set the drag on each river guests fly rod, it isn't easy to learn about allowing a fish to run and the drag do some of the work.  It is certainly a skill acquired as one progresses in the sport.  Keeping proper line tension and drag tension are key.  Rod tip should be nice and high.  Side pressure to help control the fish in the direction you want it to go when bringing in.  Lastly, stay on it with practicing casting, the drift, and mending with an indicator set up.

Kristina Anderson got to check off fly fishing on her bucket list!

Ryan Anderson and his wife Kristina came to Colorado for a wedding and took a day for some fly fishing.  Kristina has a bucket list of things she wants to experience.  One of them was fly fishing.  She was so enthused for the opportunity to jump into a pair of waders and have a fly rod in her hand with her husband, she almost cried.  Clear Creek has some of the prettiest little brownies, rainbows, cutthroat, and brook trout.  It is one of my favorite creeks to fish and catch a grand slam is something so very special.  A pretty cool moment to be a part of!

You may see Geneva and I fishing together on the river.

Geneva Scarano is a new guide who join on with Blue Quill Angler.  I had the pleasure to meet her and her family and a day fishing Tarryall Creek.  Geneva is also a registered nurse.  She is an incredibly fishy talented, divine lady.  Looking forward to guiding with her in the future.  You may find us fishing Deckers together.

Eddie Yost with a beautiful brown trout.

Eddie Yost asked me about 4 1/2 years ago if I would like to go fly fishing.  I had never fly fished before but did not hesitate to accept the invitation.  The beloved fly fishing journey for me commenced at the Fryingpan River.  Such great joy and a new challenge of weekends catching rainbow and brown trout.  Eddie and I parted ways shortly into this fly fishing journey.  I was so passionate about fly fishing, I didn't want this expedition to end.  Fast forward to the present, Eddie booked a trip with me this last July with us making a full circle of us fishing together.  Eddie loves the incredible dry fly fishing on the Fryingpan River.

Ted and Maureen Steckel had an amazing day on the river.

Maureen attended Joan Wulff's casting cast in New York.  I thought, gosh, this trip has to be special as she did catch her first trout on the fly here in Colorado.  Her husband Ted slayed it catching brown trout after brown trout!  What a pleasure to guide this fun couple so enthusiastic for fly fishing!

Tom Himes and his son Kurt had a double at Rawhide Ranch.

A memorable trip I guided was Tom Himes and his son Kurt at Rawhide Ranch.  The weather forecast had us worried of potential heavy rain and thunder.  We proceeded as planned with quite the epic day for these boys.  Tom landed his personal best rainbow within the first few casts.  The ominous clouds crept closer to us, but the fishing was lights out with both father and son having me jumping back and forth with so many fish in the net!  We sure had a great time.  Just 10 minutes before the trip came to an end, the rain came in with a vengeance.  Perfect day on the river with a drive home for all with grins on our faces right into next week.

Kurt Himes with an amazing personal best rainbow.

 

Jason with a tiger trout at one of Blue Quill's private water, Pepsi Pond

Blue Quill Angler has some incredible private waters including Abel Ranch, Shawnee Meadows, Rawhide to mention a few.  Fishing was amazing in these private waters with big, beautiful rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout.  While wintertime winds down the guiding, Pat Dorsey from the Blue Quill Angler is guiding Winter Fly Fishing Classes at some of Colorado's pristine winter private waters, Rawhide Ranch and Shawnee Meadows along the North Fork of the South Platte River.  Fly fishing can be enjoyed year-round.

Stay warm with winter fly fishing, fish small, and lighten up on your tippet.  Cheers and tight lines everyone!  Looking forward to the next guiding season!

This brownie took a size 20 Mercury Black Beauty.