I am a third generation fly fisherman and learned from an early age from my grandfather and father the finer points of casting a fly and reading water. This has been so beneficial to me in the years following that instruction. My grandfather was born in Dodge City, Ks. in 1888 and spent a considerable part of the years until his marriage at age 40, exploring and fishing Colorado. He and my grandmother also owned and operated a fishing cabin camp on the Gunnison River and my dad and his brother spent many summers helping to run the camp and fishing the area creeks and streams.
The building of Blue Mesa Resevoir took their cabins and ranch and so as a family we began looking for new areas to fish and explore on vacations to Colorado. We spent time up on the Eagle River for awhile, explored Yellowstone, Oregon and the West until one day when I was 7 years old, we came through South Fork, Colorado. Seeing the quiet setting, low crowds and clear mountain streams, my dad took a chance and stayed here for a week and we then began to frequent this area almost exclusively for fly fishing and summer fun.
Growing up in Kansas, I had the opportunity to hunt some of the best areas in the United States and we took every opportunity to hunt ducks and geese, sandhill cranes, pheasants and quail, deer, turkey, predators and also I learned to trap and paid a lot of my way through college with monies earned from a trapline.
We also fished in Kansas when we had time and learned to fish different waters for varying species, becoming quite proficient in the meantime.
This love of the outdoors led me to become a teacher for not only my son but various other friends and relatives and I enjoy that almost as much as the activity myself. I was injured quite severely on my job and have had to limit the level of participation that I can do but still, with the right amount of pain management practices, common sense and knowing my limitations, I am still able to enjoy the outdoors. I hope to be able to share my experiences and how and what I do to make that possible so that others who are maybe disabled or hurt or limited by age or other factors can also come to a full enjoyment of their lives. So many times, information seems to be catered to people in fantastic physical shape and that really only applies to a very small minority in the USA.
While I love to flyfish and that will be a key part of this blog, I will also share information about using other methods of take so that people of all abilities and preferences can utilize this site and benefit from it. We will discuss bait fishing techniques, spin fishing and also reports of catches using those methods. I also plan on including information about boat fishing success locally and even some in other locales in case those are close to where you live. I want to make sure that the information included in this blog is for regular working folks who fish weekends and vacations and that the methods and places to fish and hunt are affordable and not the canned or expensive trips typically touted on the outdoor pages.
I will also be sharing some information and advertising for good quality guided trips for those who would prefer that option as well. There is room for all of us out there and hopefully, this blog will help each of you find your path to outdoors enjoyment.
I bought an RV and have gotten to travel in the past 5 years and meet so many good people and fish and hunt some wherever I went. Winters found me in the Southern USA but springtime the mountains always call me home with their sirens song.
A question and answer section will also be incorporated so that you can find out what is happening in the area for times when you might be visiting. Thank you for your interest and here's to good fishing.....Kevin