Deckers South Platte River Fly Fishing Report 3/28/2014

We caught healthy Rainbows and Browns up and down the Deckers stretch of the South Platte River. My Friend Jim caught this nice 18 inch rainbow that we did not bother to stress by trying to take a better photo. The numbers of fish seem some what down but the fish are big and strong. Sight fishing is the most effective way to increase odds. Best flies were brown San Juan worm,  size 24 black beauty, and size 24 sparkle wing RS2. ("Same old flies"). Did not see any risers. Windy conditions. Respectable flows of aprox. 125 CFS. 

Off the Slopes and Into The Blue; Then Pueblo's Arkansas: First Days On the River in 2014

Hoped for snow Friday night. Never came. I skinned up the slopes 5:30 in the morning while it was still dark hoping for snow. Still delayed. Spooked out 3 moose. Saw their silhouettes running through the trees. Kind of spooky. Snow or no snow the moose made the early morning hike memorable. As with fishing, and running, and skiing, strange things that stir me seem most  likely to happen in the predawn darkness.  Best time of the day.  An hour later I skied down toward the sun rise. Still no new snow.

Then just before lunch it started. Just flurries at first but then it started coming down heavy. I cheated and caught the lift.  Timed it just right. Five inches of new powder on the slopes of Breckenridge ski area where I enjoyed tellemark turning and floating on snow. One of the greatest sensations in life for me that  ranks right up there with the initial contact of hooking a large fish on a fly rod.

For now, satisfied with skiing. Shift gears. Went down to the Blue River at Silverthorne and started walking the river up toward the dam looking for rainbows in the seam lines. Hooked up 5 or so good size rainbows on size 22 black beauties. Only casted to fish I spied. Saw them take the fly. Best way to fish. The only way for me.

Fished the Ark in Pueblo today. Fished the flag hole area and did well. I am not seeing the same number of fish as I did last year but at least there are some fish in the river and willing to take small black midges.  Midges hatching mid morning.  Best flies were size 18 beadhead PT,  size 22 black beauty and size 22 sparkle wing RS2. Again, sight casting makes a huge difference.

I am in transition with the seasons. I can fish but spring snow storms will continue to bring good snow to the mountains making great ski conditions.  I love this time of year. Great fishing and some of the best skiing of the year. What to choose? 

I keep my eyes on the skies while gazing into cold, clear. tumbling streams.

Self Imposed Limits On the Dream Stream

Of course I thought about going. There are big fish in the Dream Stream right now. They have been there for weeks.  Big spawning Rainbows, Cutthroats, and Cut-bows that make their way up from 11 mile reservoir.

But then I think of the crowds. I think of the assault on the fish. The fish are just trying to reproduce. Seeing the assault feels a bit apocalyptic. Looks as though we are swarming the river desperately trying to catch the last fish of the world?

Maybe it is more just the appearance of this assault than anything else that keeps me away. People running to "their" holes. Sitting on those holes  all day.with almost guard-like gestures. 

So I leave them alone. I leave the fish alone. I impose this limit on myself. I haven’t always done this. But this year I hold back. I wait. I have seen this assault, even in catch and release fisheries, drive the fish out.  I don’t know where they go. Some back to the reservoir. Some just go away. Many that die.

I listen to the reports. I see the pictures. Friends fish it often. I think of Thoreau when he said if a man does not keep pace with his companions perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer and such a person who hears that music should follow it no matter how far away.

From far away, I perceive a different pace as I feel the outer edge of winter pushing up against the inner edge of spring. I am in the midst of seasonal transition and so are the fish.  I can still wait. I can choose to wait. Let the fish spawn. Wait for them to revive and start feeding again and responding to hatches.

I almost feel the urge to fish but not quite. I need the edge of winter to move farther away  and the edge of spring to move closer.Need to allow the fish to move to new edges looking for food.

The edge of winter is receding. In the foothills I watch the snow line moving away from the grass line leaving narrower and narrower strips of snow. Some in the shadows are deep enough to still ski. Soon they too will melt away. Then, if I want to ski I will have to go higher up on the Peak in the colder air, to the bowls where blown in snow remains deep. But, eventually, these will also melt.

Melt into the rivers we fish. Melt into the rivers I fish. And will fish. Soon.  But not quite yet.  I impose this limit on myself.

Can Our Own Happiness Actually Make Us Unhappy?

 “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”.

Jesus says we are happy (blessed) when we mourn. Leave it to Jesus to turn things upside down. We are dealing with a paradox. It is difficult to understand. It seems to be counter intuitive and counter cultural.

It is difficult to understand because we are constantly told by our culture to be happy. And we are constantly told how to be happy and that we should be happy. It is one of those entitlements that is part of the culture.

It is difficult to not keep trying to be happy. I think we do our share of pretending. It is kind of difficult to be a party pooper when everyone else around is so happy (or so it seems). It is even more difficult to consider what Jesus meant about mourning as we keep trying to be happy according how the culture wants us to be happy. We rarely challenge the culture.  I am not sure we even know how to challenge the culture.

I think Jesus was challenging the culture when he said, “Blessed (Happy) are those who mourn”. This challenging paradox causes me to consider that perhaps my own happiness can block me from a deeper more true happiness.  As a Christian I have to realize that I am not exempt from the cultures attempts to make me happy.  I too can allow a superficial happiness to permeate my being. Happiness can become a sort of idol.

Regardless of what exactly Jesus meant when he told us to mourn it seems to be difficult for us to put aside our own happiness to feel any form of loneliness or sadness, let alone mourning. It seems we need the “feel good” kind of happiness to function day to day.   The issue is even more complex because at the same time it often seems that the church is pretty good at offering a religious form of superficial happiness. This superficial happiness insulates us from deep spiritual mourning.

But even if we wanted to mourn how would we mourn? What do we genuinely  mourn about?  Why mourn in the midst of a “be happy” culture whether it be society at large or the church?

I think a good starting place is to try to be honest with ourselves. Perhaps we grieve over how much time, money, and energy, (and a certain level of insanity) we have put into trying to be happy. Perhaps we can be honest enough to know that our own attempts at being happy have failed.  In some sense, dare to admit that we are not all that happy. Maybe, we can get to the point where we can admit that what the culture offers us really does not make us happy or perhaps bolder still, to question if happiness is even the goal and a realistic expectation.  And when we find our selves not very happy, maybe we can refuse to superficially be cheered up. Instead, maybe we can mourn. Intentionally mourn.

I get a sense that the quiet blessed place of mourning where we are alone in Gods silence and comfort (and in a sense alone in the world) is not the same happy place we are offered from this culture.

Blessed are those who mourn.