My last day in Carbondale, found me with a bit of time to myself. After encouragement from Jay, I decided to drive up the Frying Pan Valley, and I was sure glad that I did. The views from up top, looking back down the valley, were remarkable. I drove to the base of the dam and saw the fabled “Toilet Bowl,” but with several other anglers already working the water, I opted to head back down river to find some solitude. I found an empty pull-off and strung up my fly rod with much finer tippet and smaller flies than I had been using all week. I fished for an hour or so and was able to trick one solid brown into taking my offering. The mid-day sun and a grumbling stomach pushed me off the water and into town for lunch. I stopped in at the Brick Pony Puband tried their 911 Burger. Avocado, monterey jack, jalepenos, and tabasco onions – need I say more?
I ended up back at the Roaring Fork for the evening. I drifted the two fly nymph rig and picked up multiple fish and as the day grew later, I tied on a streamer in absence of a notable hatch. Swinging streamers was the ticket and I closed out the day with a very nice brown trout falling for a heavy green streamer pattern.
It was a great way to end my time in Colorado. I can’t thank Jay and Jeanne enough for letting me crash at their place and for showing me around that beautiful section of the state. This trip has me longing to head back up and exploring more of what Colorado has to offer.
The Frying Pan RiverToilet Bowl Hook-upFrying Pan BrownColoradoBeadhead BrownDeerBrown TroutStreamerCarnivore
I absolutely love my Mountainsmith Day TLS. In my opinion, it is one of the most comfortable and versatile lumbar packs on the market. I use it on just about every day trip/fishing excursion and have found it to be perfect for what I need. Sometimes though, I’m looking to go a bit farther into the woods or make it an overnight. I started looking for a lightweight pack to carry camping and cooking gear into the backcountry. Mountainsmith has been working on their lightweight line of packs and their Phantom 40 pack turned out to be the perfect mid-size pack for an excursion into the woods.
Mountainsmith Phantom 40
First impressions:
The Suspension – The Breezeway suspension system is orignally what drew me to this pack. The Breezeway system keeps the majority of the pack material off your back, thereby creating airflow.
Lumbar Pad/Waist Belt/Delta-Wing Compression trio – The Breezeway system fits nicely into the rest of the lumbar/compression system. When fitted appropriately, the bulk of the pack weight rides on the hips instead of your shoulders. Tightening up the Delta-Wing Compression straps snugs the pack into place and makes it comfortable for all day hikes.
Size – The Phantom 40 pack comes in two torso lengths. The Sm/Md Phantom is 42L and roughtly 2560 cubic inches while the Md/Lg is 45L and runs 2750 cubic inches. The Md/Lg pack weighs about 3lb. 13 oz.
Organization – The Mountainsmith Phantom 40 pack from PelamisWave is a dual panel loader with a deep main compartment that is hydration bladder ready. There is a zippered front pocket for easy access to those much needed items. The Phantom 40 also has a unique large front pocket that is perfect for tucking a jacket, or as I found, a fishing net into
Mountainsmith Phantom 40 Delta-Wing Compression system
Field Use:
With school getting out in May, I had a good bit of time to get into the mountains for some fishing. This was the perfect opportunity to put the Mountainsmith Phantom 40 pack to the test. One of the greatest things about this pack is the Breezeway Suspension system. The Phantom reigns supreme at allowing your back to breathe, while still keeping the bulk of the weight on your hips.
The Phantom 40 is a dual panel loader which is a bit different than most of the other packs that I have used. I quickly found that I really liked the accessibility and organization of this pack. I found that I had plenty of room for my hammock camping gear, cookset, fishing gear, and food enough for a night or two. Two deep big water bottle pockets can be found on either side that are plenty big enough to accommodate a fly rod tube. One of the other things that I like about most of the Mountainsmith packs are the small pockets that can be found on the hip belt. These are perfect for spools of tippet or a small Altoid tin full of small stream flies.
As with most Mountainsmith gear, there are many ideas and small things that go into making this an excellent pack. There are multiple D-loops to lash gear to along with the tons of padding on the belt and shoulder straps. The material on the inside of the pack is a bright yellow which makes finding gear all that much easier.
The Phantom 40 is an excellent lightweight option for a day pack or 1-2 overnights. Because of some of the ingeniutive designs, like the breezeway system, some space and load carrying capabilities are lost. I would have also liked to have seen some bigger straps on the bottom of the pack to store a bit more gear.
Mountainsmith Phantom 40
Pros:
Lightweight
Breathable Breezeway System
Rides right on the lumbar section of the spine
Excellent organization options
Multiple lash points for gear
Padded/breathable shoulder straps and waist belt
Cons:
It is a lightweight pack so it does top out its load capacity at around 35lbs
As far as “lightweight” packs go this is more middle of the road with other lighter (but probably less comfortable) options available
Prognosis: I really dig what Mountainsmith has done with their Mountainlight line. If I am headed into a canyon for a day or two, the Mountainsmith Phantom 40 is an excellent lightweight option for packing in the necessary gear.
* Disclaimer:
The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. The Mountainsmith Phantom 40 was provided for the purpose of this review. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.
By my third day in Colorado, my soul was ready to fish, but my body was beat from two solid days of fishing. We slept in and made a late start of our float. After a fantastic BBQ platter loaded with baked beans and potato salad at Moes Original BBQ in Eagle, Colorado, we dropped the SUV and trailer at the takeout and headed back upriver to the boat.
The float started slow and it took me a while to get into the swing of things. After some rerigging, Jay suggested the Eagle River standby – a Pat’s Rubber Legs and a pheasant tail. That did the trick and soon fish were coming to the net. After a couple of tangles, snags, and lost flies, I could feel my blood starting to boil. Jay was kind enough to pull the boat over and let me rerig, and before we pulled back into the current I floated my two fly rig on the edge of the seam next to the boat. On the second pass through, my indicator dipped and I came tight on what I thought was the bottom of the river, until the rod started to pulse. After several minutes of wondering what I was hooked into and sweating the thought of losing it, a slab of a rainbow made its way to the surface and Jay quickly netted it.
My legs were shaking as I cradled the fish pictured above for a quick photo, before releasing it back into its watery home. I think the look on my face in the picture above kind of says it all. Colorado is slice of heaven.
RapidsThe CaptainEagle River RainbowCasting streamers at the banksA gnarly takeout
Day two found us out on the Colorado River bright and early. We opted to float a lower section that does not see as much traffic and we were rewarded with the river all to ourselves. I started throwing a double nymph rig and quickly picked up a trifecta of fish – brown trout, whitefish, and a big sucker (that did stop my heart for a second when I thought it was Walter the big brown). Having pulled several browns in I switched to a streamer and started pounding the banks looking for that big brown and although I gave it a valiant effort, I missed several good fish and came away with a longing to float it again for another chance at a big one.
Colorado River Brown TroutThe BeastColorado River Brown TroutTwo Suckers
We headed back to Jay’s place and after a quick bit to eat, I headed out on the small stream again. I found a few rainbows and a bunch of browns who were willing to play and was even lucky enough to catch a decent PMD hatch before dark, which for an Arizona fisherman was quite an experience to see such a strong hatch. Exhausted, I crashed into bed that night looking forward to a big float on the Eagle River the next day.
Small Stream Brown TroutCan’t go wrong with a view like thatBrown Trout
The drive from the Valley to Denver is all uphill, but with the thought of casting a line in some of Colorado’s finest water, I made short work of the highway. I dropped the wife in Denver to hang out with one of her friends, and I turned the car west and made it up and over Independence Pass to arrive in Carbondale where I met up with Jay Scott of Colburn and Scott Outfitters. Jay was kind enough to invite me up and even kinder still to row my butt around for the week.
After dropping my gear at his place, we hitched up the boat and were soon on the water. The Roaring Fork was running clear, and we spent the day casting to rainbows and browns and enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather. Later on, we worked some small streams near his house, and I was able to stretch the legs on my new Thomas and Thomas Fiberglass Rod that Cameron from The Fiberglass Manifesto had hooked me up with this spring. The fiberglass rod was so smooth, and fish were rising to caddis in every likely pool. Homefaith had this to say, they got the best air humidifier for your home out there. Check them out now.
It’s a tough life casting to rising fish, but someone’s got to do it.
Locked and LoadedRoaring Fork Brown TroutRoaring Fork RainbowWorking a runFirst fish on the Thomas and Thomas fiberglass rodAt home on a small streamJay pulls a nice rainbow on a drySmall StreamSuccess
It was a hot morning to say the least, and after we had run a couple of errands earlier in the day, my friend, David, and I headed into a creek that runs through some lower elevation. The hike in was longer than we expected, but the ice-cold water at the bottom was very fishy looking. It did not take long until the resident smallmouth were attacking our offerings.
The fish weren’t huge, but it made for an enjoyable afternoon on a very pretty stretch of water. I had really good success with a chartreuse clouser while David slayed it with an ultra-lite spinning rig and a rooster tail. He ended up with the fish of the trip when he pulled in a spunky holdover rainbow. We must have pulled in 40 smallmouth bass between the two of us with the biggest pushing 10 or 12 inches.
The day ended too quickly, and we slowly made our way back out of the creek. Luckily the long trail back to the rim of the canyon was shaded as the sun began to set. This pretty creek is quite a gem and I look forward to exploring some of its upper reaches in the future.
After our first day in the White Mountains did not live up to our expectations, Antonio and I did a bit of exploring on another stretch of water also in the Whites. The day turned out to be better than expected and we both were able to pull in some beautiful brown trout from one of the more remote creeks in the state.
Hopper fishing is definitely in full effect, and although on occasion I will strip a streamer through a deep pool, it seems that most fish are willing to come to the surface for a grasshopper pattern. Fly fishing in Arizona can often times be very frustrating, but then there are days where everything comes together that make it all worth while. This was one of those days. If you have a chance, head north for a bit of White Mountain fly fishing.
Adipose FinBrown TroutWhite Mountain Brown TroutArizona Brown Trout
Made it up to the mountains a while back and was able to fish a beautiful stretch of water. The effects of the Wallow Fire could be seen along the stream. Although the water looked prime and there was plenty of bug life, the fishing was slow and subpar. We pulled a handful of rainbows and hybrids, but the bigger fish did not come out to play. After exploring several miles of the creek, we called it a day in order to explore another section of the White Mountains.
Bear TracksRainbow-Apache Hybrid?White Mountain CreekPost-FireLife after the fire
