I spend a fair amount of my fishing time flicking flies on small creeks. Arizona has a good number of these small waters to choose from and the fish are usually quite opportunistic and willing to take a well presented fly. The Frye Creek Special is a super simple pattern that I always turn to if I need trick that picky fish holding in one of those deeper plunge pools. Plus, I’m always looking for a use for my Mearns quail feathers.
Hook, bead, threadTie in the tailArizona Simi SealPick out materialMearns Quail HackleMearns Quail CollarPink/RedBlack/GreenBrown/GoldThe Frye Creek Special doing workGila Trout falls to the Frye Creek Special
I had a good morning in the field with a good friend. Shot a few birds, ate some good grub, drank a few beers, and enjoyed the great outdoors. I am beyond thankful that fall is here.
Tailgate BreakfastDan’s first dovePluckingBreaking Clays
Tools of the tradeFish onSuccessMommy, the fish was thiiiiiissssss bigEarly morning nature walk with my boyEntomologyBlueberry pickingWeigh us on the way outThis boy is in heavenBoat ride with my ladiesA newtA bassA bluegillI never get tired of this view
The days have been hot, and we don’t often look for a reason to head out into the blast furnace that is Phoenix in July. But, I take a certain satisfaction from stowing away clean gear, so we donned our swimsuits and headed out into the bright morning sunshine.
After washing down and giving them a gentle scrub to work off the dirt and mud, I had my assistant give it a thorough spray down with some 303 Aerospace protectant. Landeen turned me on to it when I first bought my boat, and it has kept the pontoons looking fantastic over time.
As with any water project with a two and half year old, the job took three times as long and ended in a water fight. My hope is that she learns two important lessons: put gear away clean and never miss out on a water fight.
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.
Alex looking for cruisersThe view back towards the boat rampLandon working the weed bedsChop on Becker Lake
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.
Christmas Tree Lake Apache TroutAlex Landeen doing what Alex Landeen doesApache TroutLandon working the bankJW Young and Sons Pridex ReelStrip, Strip Strip, SetAlex hooked upThe Fleet
I grew up hunting back East where it’s pretty easy to get by without a set of optics. Life in the West is a different game and quality binoculars are worth their weight in gold when looking for animals in the wide open expanse of the Arizona mountains. I’ve gotten by with a pair of Nikon 10x42s, but there were so many times when I needed more to look a little farther. After a bunch of research, the Vortex Viper 15x50swere the perfect addition to my tripod for javelina and deer season.
Vortex Viper 15×50
First impressions:
HD Lens Elements – HD (High Density) extra-low dispersion glass delivers impressive resolution and color fidelity, resulting in High Definition images.
XR Lens Coatings – Vortex proprietary XR anti-reflective coatings, fully multi-coated on all air-to-glass lens surfaces, increase light transmission for maximum brightness.
Roof Prisms – Valued for greater durability and a more compact size.
Waterproof – Optics are sealed with O-rings to prevent moisture, dust, and debris from getting inside the binocular.
Fogproof – Argon gas purging guarantees superior fogproof and waterproof performance.
Rubber Armor – Provides a secure, non-slip grip, and durable external protection.
ArmorTek – Ultra-hard, scratch-resistant coating protects exterior lenses from scratches, oil and dirt.
Javelina with the help of the Vortex Viper 15x50s
Field Use:
Setting up the first morning of the season and putting my eyes to the Vortex Viper 15x50s was like entering a whole new world. The first thing that jumped out to me was the clarity and brightness of the image when viewed through the HD glass of the Vipers. On that first morning we spotted a herd of javelina almost a mile and half out. I had the opportunity to sit side by side with a buddy who was using a pair of Swarovski SLC 15×56 and view the herd through both binoculars. In truth the Swarovskis were exceptional, and to my untrained eye, I could see the slight difference between the two. The Vipers however definitely held their own against the top of the line binos on the market and provided a crystal clear picture edge to edge. When considering the discrepancy in price between these two great binoculars, the HD lens Vortex Vipers put up some stiff competition for it’s competitors.
The Vortex Viper 15×50 binoculars boast a rugged design with Vortex’s Rubber Armor coating, heavy duty O-rings that keep out moisture, as well as Argon gas purging to keep them fog free. One of the most attractive features of the Vortex binoculars is the guarantee that comes with all Vortex optics:
Unlimited Lifetime Warranty
Fully transferable
No warranty card to fill out
No receipt needed to hang on to
Over the following month, I carried the Vipers and spent many hours looking through them and watching animals at much greater distances than I could have with my 10x42s. They absolutely filled a huge need in my optics lineup. I still carry my 10s on my chest, but the 15s are always in my pack for situations where I need to see a bit farther.
Vortex Viper 15×50
Pros:
Price
Quality HD Glass
Durable Construction
Vortex VIP Warranty
Prognosis: The Vortex Viper 15×50 binoculars offer top of the line glass at a middle of the road price. If you are in the market for a new set of 15s, The Vipers definitely deserve consideration
* Disclaimer:
The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. The Vortex Viper 15×50 binoculars were provided for the purpose of this review by Camera Land. 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. 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.
The crusty hamburger buns were all that were left in the cupboard, so I slathered a thick layer of peanut butter and jelly on each side, put the sandwich in a ziplock bag and stowed it in my pack.
Eight hours later, I sat streamside reflecting over the morning of fishing while eating that crusty PB&J. With work and family, the days on the water seem to be fewer and fewer, so I purposefully reveled in the fresh air, the smell of pine trees and the sound of the running water. The big brown trout that had smashed my streamer just an hour before was still fresh on my mind and I replayed the scene in my mind again – bent rod, netting the fish, and the release – over and over.
By the time the sun began to set, it was still several miles back to the truck. The last mile was dark enough where I contemplated digging through my pack for my headlamp, but I trusted the steep canyon pathway, having walked it many times before.
