After a day of fishing dry flies to Apache trout at Christmas Tree Lake, we ate like kings around the campfire. Waking up the next morning with a half a day to kill, we broke camp and headed to Becker Lake to see if we could tease out a couple of those big rainbows that live in the lake.

The lake was like glass when we pulled in to the empty parking lot. After a short row across the lake, I followed the lead of my two buddies who had fished the lake before, and started searching the water with a big foam hopper. Just as I was giving up hope, the water around my fly erupted as a Becker Lake rainbow savagely attacked the hopper. After a hard hookset and a pretty good fight to the net,  I cradled the 18″ fish in my hands before releasing it back to the lake. I fished for a couple more hours before rowing back to the boat ramp.

My first trip to Becker Lake was a memorable one. As an avid stream fisherman, I’ve really enjoyed learning about still water fishing and experiencing the high country Arizona lakes. I’m grateful to have good buddies who I can ask questions and glean information from regarding fishing still water lakes. With temps soaring here in the Valley, I’m already looking forward to loading up the truck and heading north.

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“Blip.” A trout rises to the right.

The fly dropped softly, a foot short of the center of the concentric ripples and the krystal flash wings gleamed in the morning sunlight. There was an ever so slight pause before the nose of the Apache trout broke the surface. The ant pattern disappeared, the hook was set, and the fish danced its way to the net.

This scene played itself many times over for most of the morning. At Christmas Tree Lake on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, the Apache trout like to rise to dry flies until the sun gets too high in the sky. Around eleven, we switched things up and stripped small leeches, damsels, and nymphs off of the banks with pretty good success. As evening approached, there was another flurry of activity on the surface as trout began rising again to ants and mayflies.

Back in the Valley, the temps were well over 100 degrees, but after a light rain as we got off the water, the mountain air was crisp and clean. It’s easy to have a good day when the fish are biting and you’re hanging out with a couple of good buddies.

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The yellow Gila trout tucked away from humanity in a tiny trickle of water greedily ate our flies and made us forget about the thorns and brush that tore at our clothing. We fell on the slippery rocks and bushwhacked through the dense undergrowth to cast our lines for this rare Southwestern trout. and it was a bit surreal to hold a fish that has been on the brink of extinction for so long. The habitat didn’t allow for much in the way of casting, but bow-and-arrow casting small streamers seemed to do the trick.

Thanks to the work of Trout Unlimited and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, there is now a wild fishable population of Gila trout back in Arizona, and efforts continue to be made to stock Gila trout back in their native drainage. Stay up to date on new fishing regulations and future habitat work.

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I had a conversation with a good friend the other day about gear that has stood the test of time. It prompted some further reflection and I thought it would be appropriate to put together a list of gifts for the outdoorsman.

1. New Upland Bird Hunting Vest – I get quite a few emails about bird hunting vests and generally it comes down to two: The WingWorks Upland Vest or the Q5 Centerfire Upland Vest. Both strap vests are made in America and bulletproof.

2. K-Pump 200 – Accept no substitute. There’s no pontoon boat pump out there better than the K-Pump 200.

3. Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener – The Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener is a solid sharper and I always carry it in my big game kill kit.

4. Sage and Braker Bore Snake – The Sage and Braker Bore Snake is the perfect stocking stuffer for the active hunter or shooter on your list.

5. Jim Matthews Signature Quail Call – I just got my hands on my Jim Matthews Signature Quail Calls and haven’t posted a full review yet. But let me tell you that these beauties sound so good and I’m very impressed with the quality and sound. More to come on these calls.

6.  Stanley Brand – The Stanley name long been synonymous with quality and I’ve had the opportunity to get my hands on a number of their products. My favorite as of late has been the Stanley Vacuum Pint. Stanley products always make for a good gift.

7. Lowa Renegade LL – Nothing is more critical than a solid set of hunting boots and the Lowa Renegade LL (leather-lined) fit the bill.

8. Sierra Nets – Handmade by my good friend Greg Madrigal, a Sierra Net is a work of art. If you have a fly fisherman on your Christmas list, make his year and have Greg make him a net.

9. Mountainsmith Day TLS – This little lumbar pack goes with me on every fishing trip into the mountains. Can’t beat the Mountainsmith Day TLS for comfort, durability, and utility while fishing.

10. A new bamboo rod – Treat yourself. I recently commissioned my good friend and rod builder Mike Johnson, owner of Agua Fria Alchemy to build me a new bamboo rod and it is a dream to fish with. Do yourself a favor and put a bamboo rod under the tree for yourself.

I also want to mention one of my favorite products lately, it is the dermaroller and I totally recommend you guys to check it out.

The post Top Ten Christmas Gifts for the Outdoorsman appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

It had been a while since I’d seen some moving water, and my understanding wife told me to head north for the day. I was feeling pretty stubborn, and even though there wasn’t a ton of surface activity, I continued to fish hoppers through the day. I managed the fish about as the sun was getting lower in the sky. The colors on this brown defied description, and I took just a moment to appreciate the Creator’s handiwork.

There’s no therapy like standing knee high in a stream with a fly rod in hand.

The post Arizona Fly Fishing: Autumn Brown Trout appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

With the shotgun cleaned and placed back in the safe, it was time to break out the fly rod and check on the status of the creeks. Walking amongst the fragrant ponderosas and listening to the creek ramble over the rocks was all that was needed to soothe my soul. Fishing our way up the creek, I had almost lost hope of catching a fish, when a small parachute pattern tricked a brown into rising, and my net soon cradled my first fish of 2015. It’s going to be a great year.

The post Arizona Spring Fishing appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

My buddy Jason and I were able to get out for a cold and windy day on one of the high country lakes. We had heard rumors of some big holdover brown trout and figured we would go and see what the lake had to offer. The lake fished well for the recently stocked brown trout and we caught fish in the morning and evening on sinking lines and streamers. None of the big boys came out to play.

Normally when I fish our streams here in Arizona, I practice catch and release, as many of the streams rely on natural reproduction to maintain their population. Stocked fish in a non reproducing lake is another story. With family coming in for the holidays, it’s nice to have a limit of fish to share. The great thing about fly fishing Arizona is that we do have year round opportunities here in this state.

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It’s not often that I wake up on a Saturday morning and hear my wife say, “let’s go fishing.” I had the truck packed in a few minutes, and we headed to a local spot to see if we could find some willing warm water fish. We had about an hour of walking and fishing before it was time to head home and get ready for the morning nap. The fish were there, but we didn’t connect on any. As usual, the trip ended up being less about fishing and more about spending time with my girls, pointing out the ducks and fish, and enjoying the beautiful Arizona fall weather. We’ll get those fish next time.

The post Arizona Fly Fishing: A walk around the ponds appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

A last minute trip fell into my lap a couple weekends back, and I found myself driving through the night to check out new spot. When driving at night, be more cautious of your surrounding to avoid a car accident. If it happens for instance, consult with the best car accident lawyer Maryland. Armed with a 5 weight, a box of flies and a few smushed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I hiked in to find the water off color but still fishable. The first pool gave up a nice creamy Arizona brown trout, as did a couple of the remaining pools. It’s my opinion that fishing stained water can be extremely productive for bigger fish. I wasn’t disappointed.

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You can really blame it on Alex Landeen. In truth, the reason I bought my pontoon boat was for the sole purpose of floating the Colorado River. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed exploring the lakes here in Arizona, but a few months back when he started telling us about his 15 mile float down the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry, I was already counting pennies and looking at pontoon boats.

Fast forward to last Friday, Jason and I skirted our work activities and drove up to meet Alex, Marvin, and Scott. We milled around looking at the river, wading up to our knees to cool off, and waited for the backhaul boat that would take us, our gear, and our pontoon boats upriver to the dam. When we were finally loaded and the boat left the no-wake zone, our driver eased the throttle forward, and we left what little civilization there is at Lees Ferry behind us. The boats dropped us off at an upper beach were we assembled our boats, stowed gear,and rigged our fly rods for the short jaunt down to the Ropes camping area. We were in to fish right away. Smiles all around.

We camped at Ropes that evening, and after dinner from a bag, we swapped stories about fishing trips before turning in for the night. I’ve been on several multi-day float trips before, but this was the first one in my own personal watercraft. So the thought of my helpless little pontoon anchored on the mighty Colorado had me waking up at all hours of the night, wondering if that little red pontoon was still there. I resisted the urge to done my headlamp and go look, and when the sun finally started to brighten the sky the next morning, I found that little red pontoon waiting for me like a puppy ready to play.

Gobbling down a quick breakfast, we eased the boats into the strong current of the Colorado river and started plying the edges of the river for feisty rainbow trout. It was pretty much non-stop all day long. Fish were looking up, and we pulled many fish on hopper and cicada patterns. Everyone had a sink tip rigged with streamers, and when things slowed on occasion with top water, you could always clean up with simi-seals and wooly buggers.

The three days and two nights that we spent on the river were amazing, and although the fishing was great, I came home babbling to my wife more about the experience of the river and the fun times with good friends rather than the actual fishing itself. So although I blame Landeen for my pontoon boat purchase, I ultimately owe him for opening my eyes to the Colorado River. Without a doubt I’ll be going back.

What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn’t have any doubt. It is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn’t want to go anywhere else. – Hal Boyle

Our trip through the lens of Alex Landeen. 

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