Deerfly Diaries

Pteronarcys californication on the Gunnison River Gorge: Fly Fishing the salmon fly hatch

 
Yesterday Glenn and I trekked over the mountains to Gunnison River to fish the salmon fly hatch (Pteronarcys californica).  Every year, about the third week in June, these large stoneflies hatch en masse.  For about three weeks, the salmon flies swarm the vegetation to find a mate and then they die- many falling victim to hungry trout.  I've heard that the salmon fly represents about 70% of a Gunnison River trout's yearly diet.

The water was high, so it made dry fly fishing a little tricky.  The hatch was prolific; however, and we both managed to catch some nice brown trout on dry flies.  At one point we saw five different insect hatches at once.

Here's a little still-shot video to give you a taste of the Gunnison River on the first day of summer:

What to do when your bird dog gets skunked

It's that time of the year that dogs like to get into skunks.  And I really do think they like to get into them.  Last night we were running my two dogs and my friend's dogs on a four-wheeler on the ranch.  I saw Porter pick up scent of something and run for it like it was mission.  He reappeared a couple minutes later with the sweet smell of Mephitis mephitis, the striped skunk.

I tried the old tomato juice method to get the smell out of him.  I've always heard that you have to cover your dog in it and then let it dry before rinsing.

Either it worked or my nose just got used to the smell.  It certainly was a sight to be seen- it looked a little gruesome in fact. 

Porter was content to be bathed in yummy tomato juice.  The taste seemed to pacify him and he decided a bath wasn't so bad.

I've also read that a mixture of a quarter cup of baking soda per quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide does the trick.  Apparently it changes the chemical composition of the odor.

One thing is for sure, by the time you try either method, the smell of skunk will surround you.  I suggest you be patient, give your pooch plenty of fresh air and hope it doesn't get skunked again.

Fat chance if it's a bird dog.

Fly Fishing the high spring-runoff

We had several spring dust storms that dumped brown snow on our peaks.  The brown snow made the snow melt more rapidly than usual causing our spring run-off to peak early this year on the Western Slope of Colorado.  According to the USGS gauging station on the Roaring Fork River near Glenwood Springs, the peak was on May 21st.

A lot of people think that the rivers are unfishable during peak run-off, but as my short video clip shows, you can catch fish on the river even in the highest of waters.  You just need to be creative and, more importantly, be careful.  The trick is to stay on the banks, fish tight to the shore and use high test line.  The fish are in the river and they want to stay on the edges where the current is manageable.  Once on the hook, keep them tight to the shore.  A little help netting the fish also makes it easier.

This video was shot on May 22, just a day after peak.  The river was running well over 6,000 cubic feet per second. 

Ron Spomer highlights Melus and dog Elsie in June American Hunter Magazine

I was honored to be featured in Ron Spomer's latest Gun Dogs column in the June issue of American Hunter Magazine.  Ron is a prolific outdoor writer, photographer, avid hunter, and gun dog enthusiast from Boise, ID.  We hit it off after we met a couple years back and started talking dogs. 

The article is called, "The Training Timetable."   While training my pup Elsie and her litter mates over the last two years I was struck by the different stages at which puppies advance.  The pups all had almost identical life experiences, yet they were individuals with different needs.  Spomer draws on my observations and experiences to illustrate how patience, timing and individual attention are of utmost importance when training any pup.

 

Photo credit goes to Glenn Melus.  Thank you Glenn.

Download AmericanHunter article in PDF format.

Back in the game after a narrowly averted disaster in Upper Chute Canyon, Utah

Sorry to my readers who I left hanging the last couple weeks after my trip to the San Rafael Swell in Utah. Unfortunately, I had a little accident that left me hanging from a rappel rope in the Upper Chute Canyon.  I was a little banged up and suffered a concussion, but I'm feeling better now and couldn't be more ready for summer.

Steve Howe from Backpacker magazine has a great photo blog: San Rafael Swell Slot Canyoneering.  That's me in the orange hat- before the "rappel of death."

Or you can read my followup safety article in the June 4th Sopris Sun.