Fishing reports june 1 - june 30

[BassonaFly]

Ron,
Beautiful pix. As for me, I would rather catch the small seatrout with a 5wt or 6wt then go after the huge tarpon with a big rod.

[CapeMayRay]

The pictures were all great as was the weather. I am still looking for that big tarpon on the fly. Have caught big ones on the spin rod but only the smaller ones on the fly. Still looking for that life changing one that make you want to chase after the smaller ones. Looking for that one that takes forever to reel in, the one you have chase all over the place.

Ron, watch out for those canyon wall, I hear they can be man eaters!

Up here weather has been windy. Had to cancel another trip Wednesday night with a 11 year and dad. It was going to be his sons first saltwater trip. At the time we were to leave the dock it was blowing in the 20's and gusting into the low 30's not great conditions for any age plus it was cool with a chance of rain.

Did get out this morning with an Aunt and her young nephew. Border line as to whether to go or not. Winds were higher than they predicted and we couldn't work the ocean like I had wanted to as they were worried about getting sea sick, so we had to do the back bay, bait thing, anchored up. Tons of sand sharks and a couple of small blues. No signs of any bass, but again it was blowing hard enough to take your hat off just standing in the anchored boat. Like always the kid loved catching the sharks best.

Just been a tough week, with the wind. Going take a break. Won't be on the water till Sunday as I have to go to wedding tomorrow and grandsons birthday party on Saturday. It will probably be dead calm those days.

[Slopoke]

Wasn't dead calm today (Fri) Small craft thru Sat nite.........

[sparse grey]

Fishinf a nice small stream near Montrouse, Colorado. Uncompaghre river, freeflowing with not a lot of pocket water. Using a 5wt, caddis dry fly with gold ribbed hares ear wet fly dropper. 3 for 5 all nice native (big surprise to me) brown trout. Late evening, fishing the Gunnison tomorrow PM.



My friend Ryan with another nice one. Ryan was with me 2 years ago in Arizona when I had my fall in Oak Creek Canyon breaking back 2 places etc., etc. He was instrumental in getting me out of the canyon.

[BassonaFly]

Sparse,

Beautiful trout! and beautiful water.
I actually like the fresh water fly fishing better than the salt. I guess it's the dirty salt water and the mosquitos?
Trout are so beautiful and swim in beautiful water.

[sparse grey]

We went to Black Canyon where the Gunnison River is dammed, twice. Quite a ride into the National Park.



This is called the rollar dam in the East Portal of the canyon.



& yes the trout are beautiful & also live in beautiful places.



Sorry here tis.


BTW, I had one of the if not the largest trout just below the white water. Way too much for 2X. Going back this AM for a couple of hours. More to follow.

[CapeMayRay]

Great pictures Ron, You are having way too much fun! Also glad to see you are taking it easy. You are getting too old to do those falls down canyon walls.

Did a fly trip last night with two young fly anglers from UTAH They were in their 20's and hot to catch a couple of saltwater fish. We had a strong east wind and were able to get out the inlet and fish the lee jetty. Great tide, good seas but water was very brown from all the wind, even near high tide. They missed a few strikes learning to strip strike.

Tried fishing the inside but the straw from the new moon tides was real bad so we headed to the back and found some herons giving away where there was some bait. Turned out to be small blues and small stripers. They each got some but the bass were all 17 1/2 to 18 inches.

I was hoping we would of done better but they were happy and did very good casting the heavier lines for the first time.

[sparse grey]

Had a few nice hours in the Gunnison again this AM a little up stream from yesterday. Very nice flowing with deep runs. The fish are still bigger than I had anticipated which is fine with me & the colors are so intense. Fishing dry fly as an indicator with a stone fly larva & or a bead head as a dropper. Ryan was 2 for the first 2 casts. Doesn't happen often but he is on top of his game.



Mostly rainbows in this stretch.

[CapeMayRay]

Very nice again Ron! Those trout were bigger than the stripers we got last night.

Had a one angler fly trip. The weather and new moon tide were perfect, but saw zero signs of any baitfish around the inlet. (not even one tern picking) Got angler a few weakies and small blues and worked hard the usual hot spots for bass without a touch. (not a good sign with such good conditions) Water was still a bit brown but if the blues and weakies could see the fly the bass should of if they were around.

An hour before dark we shot to the back bay and found some decent spearing being pushed. Here he got two dink stripers 15 and 16 inches and a few blues which were the best fish of the night close to 22 inches.

Bite of a strange year. Usually see decent striper fishing with the schoolies this time of the year, but so far pretty slow.

[sparse grey]

Nice trip to the Gunnison again today. 2 spots, lots of fish & at times a strong gusty up-stream very strong wind. No surface activity so dropper bead head nymhs #20 below an indicator dry. Rainbows are beautifully marked.



One of the very few browns.



Ryan & Step-Son Tyler With his first trout out of the Portal (lower end of Gunnison just below the roller dam).



A small side note. In the water I stumbled a bit, went down & was caught by Ryan & a newly found friend just before entering a long swift stretch of water. Very cold but nothing serious as we made it to shore before being swept downstream. Starting to think I have a walking problem. :-)

[CapeMayRay]

More great pictures and fishing. You are going to have to watch your step. Either that or buy a water proof camera so you can get those once in a life time float trip pictures that most take from in the boat. All kidding aside I am glad it worked out well.

Water temps here in Jersey are getting hot. Fished Tuesday with one fly angler. He caught some blues, sea herring and a weakfish in the ocean at high tide on clousers and jiggies and the water was 70.4 degrees and sort of an ugly greenish brown. Don't know what is causing it to look so bad and again not a single bird or sign of any bait around the inlet with a strong new moon tide.

Later we shot to the back and he caught one 20 inch striper that had all kinds of ugly red sores on it and the water there was 75 degrees.

[CapeMayRay]

Wednesday had a free night and decided to go out and have some fun. Water was again an ugly brownish green in the ocean. Great tide and conditions but fishing was slow at best and no bird activity at all and no signs of any bait fish anywhere. Only picked a few small blues on a jiggie.

Water in the ocean was close to 71 degrees. Went to the back bay and found the water 74 to 78 degrees. Only managed one small 17 inch striper on a chartreuse deceiver and it had a couple of red spots on it.

Also missed another small one. Ended up calling it an early night as there was little to no bait fish at 5 normally good areas.

[sparse grey]

Nice going Ray & bummer about the sore or markings. Any ideas? Have the Olympus water prouf. Good think cause that tested it. Happened just after the pic of Tyler as I was getting closer. Cell phone left in car-really good thing. Quick trip last evening hoping for a green drake hatch but nothing but hordes o caddis with no surface activity. 2 just beore dark.

[bottom knocker]

Ray the striper your client is holding is SKINNY too,..

[CapeMayRay]

I know I keep saying it every year but. Striper fishing down here is getting worse and worse. I look back on my log bogs and it is a steady decline in numbers, size. I also see more fish with sores and as far as bait fish, and bird activity that is at the lowest levels I have seen.

With severe algae blooms now on a regular basis come August and with the warm water temps this year we might see our aglae blooms in July.

All I know is what I observe. In the last 10 year there has been a dramatic change in the fishing, the amount of bait, and what the water looks like. (quality) It use to be clean and clear all the time around the inlet other than when we had strong west winds churning up Delaware Bay. The back use to have strong signs of life everywhere you went and you fished the areas where it was the heaviest. Now you see a small area of bait an you get excited.

The changes have been so dramatic you do not need to be a scientist to figure out that something has happen. As far as I have been told, they realize there are problems, but it is a matter of money. There is nothing in the budget to address the issues.

I personally believe it is a water quality issue and that is the toughest one to solve, even if you had unlimited resources.