+: Leaving for Grey’s Reef in Wyoming

Δ: No Internet, No Phone

My friend Phyllis has floated with Kyle before and made the arrangements for us to float a few days before her milestone birthday. Phyllis is a fabulous angler who powered through a shoulder injury without complaining to fish the Colorado. The day was beautiful in its own right. Maybe not for the scenery; maybe not for the number of fish we caught, but definitely for the company.

The river had turned a light green a few days prior to our float due to some runoff from the previous set of snowstorms that had blown through the Rockies. I thought this might present a problem with fish not being able to see the flies that we tossed in the river, but our guide assured us it would not. We put in at the Two Rivers Park in downtown Glenwood Springs and floated for about eight miles.

In the winter, as explained in a previous post, trout barely move from their hideout in the river. To catch a fish in the winter you pretty much have to land that fly right in front of their mouths so that the total amount of effort to swallow that fly is next to nothing. Come spring, the fish will actively search for their food, even in darkened water. In the Colorado, where the current is strong and the river is wide, it’s as if the fish are working out in their own gym. They are so active and so strong that a trout of 12 – 15 inches will feel like a 22 – 25 inch trout to land. We certainly found this to be true.

We caught lots of fish on this day, which helped us to forget about the chill of a 15 – 20 mile per hour wind. Although there are many spots where the Colorado meanders through bucolic settings, here the river follows I-70, so there is a constant din that accompanies you throughout the trip.

As I’ve mentioned before fly-fishing provides satisfaction in a variety of ways. Today it was about celebrating a birthday and catching fish, and that’s all good.

In fact, the river is nearly impossible to wade around Glenwood. The river flows fast and deep right up to the banks. To make it even more difficult, the river bottom has that mud that is like glue, so you never know if the motion of picking up your leg to make a step is going to work or not. I spent a lot of time just paying attention to where and how I navigated the banks. It didn’t help that the river contains a lot of structure, so my flies continued to get caught on the bottom and twice I lost all my flies. As always, I found the bright side of things and looked at it as a day to practice tying my knots. That blood knot I spoke of earlier… I have it down. My evening entertainment over the last week has been practicing that knot dozens of times!

As Monday approached I received a phone call from my friend, Phyllis Pool, with whom I would be floating the Roaring Fork. It turned out that a drift boat would not make it through the Fork right now and thus our guide recommended we drift the Colorado. Perfect, now I would be able to come back and fish the Roaring Fork when I had the Colorado scheduled later in the year. The Fork is such a beautiful, productive river that I felt I would benefit from a later visit. And so, off to a float on the Colorado starting at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs.

In the meantime, I enjoyed several rainbows (not the trout kind) and a dinner camper style.

Δ: Colorado: Most Endangered River

+: Amazing wildlife on the White

Δ: Thinking about Thanksgiving

I researched the river, found the public fishing access, studied the water, found a place where I thought might hold fish, rigged my line with the right flies to the right depth, made some good casts, and found myself with a half-dozen or so Mountain Whitefish.

Not quite ready to be a guide myself, but I’m doing okay.

After being held up in my camper for several days, I had to kick myself in the butt to get moving again. It’s amazing how quickly we fall into patterns and bad habits and how hard it is to undo them.

This was the first week that I didn’t hire a guide to help me navigate my way when I arrived at a new river. In the end this proved to be a good thing because it made me test my knowledge to see if I really could put it all together. I am coming away with a greater sense of self-confidence –  that I have actually figured out the basics of this complicated sport and can at least catch a fish… most of the time.

Meeker is one of the most beautiful places in Colorado. It took me close to a week to discover that because initially all I could see was white. The snow finally let up for a day although my thermometer read 13 degrees. In January and February I found fishing in the teens to be a challenge and fun, but yesterday, well, I decided that I would wait till it was at least freezing outside.

Much of the White River is private but there are three spots open to the public where you can fish the river, but you must stay in the river. The “No Trespassing” signs are a bit intimidating especially when you “don’t know what you don’t know” as was the case with me. I innocently fished above the boundary where I am allowed to fish instead of below.

Well, to make a long story short (you’ll be able to read more in my book in another year!) I caught lots of Mountain White fish – no trout – and found that others who were fishing had the same experience. They have very small, delicate mouths and are certainly not as colorful as trout, but they are spirited and kinda cute – if that’s an adjective that is appropriate for a fish.

The day was most delightful not only for the fishing but because of the incredible amount of wildlife I saw everywhere. I couldn’t go a mile on the road without stopping to take photos. One more day here and then on the Roaring Fork and a river float… with rain predicted. That will be a new experience – fishing in the rain that is.

The seesaw played an important part in my playground enjoyment some 50 years ago. I take my grandchildren to the park, but I no longer see this apparatus anymore – too much litigation I imagine. Sometimes when I played on the seesaw, the person on the opposite end wanted to see if we could balance it so that both our feet didn’t touch the ground. Some people wanted to try and see if they could leave me hanging up in the air or crash me to the bottom. There have always been playground bullies.

I have been on a seesaw this week but only metaphorically speaking. When I arrived in Meeker on Monday evening after a great week on the Yampa I found myself in the heart of a snowstorm. My friends could not make it up from Grand Junction and so I prepared myself to figure out this river on my own. I am fortunate once again to be staying at a campground that has free wi-fi and thus I supplemented my folder with some online information about the White.

I decided to spend some time on Tuesday morning taking care of emails, skimming the news headlines, updating sections of my website and editing some book chapters. I kept battling with myself to drive down to the river, which is only about 10 minutes away, but as the early afternoon hours started to pass, I realized that I really wanted to spend the day in my camper just writing. I rode this seesaw all day though, trying to push myself to explore the river, but wanting to just hang out.

On Wednesday I totally succumbed to my desire to hang out and write. The snow came down hard all day, the wind whistled to the tune of 17 mph and fishing just didn’t sound appealing. I felt balanced on my seesaw today – not fighting myself for what I wanted and needed to do.

Words Beyond Bars- Heals and Inspires

A few years ago, I was moved by the plight of juveniles serving life sentences without the possibility of parole in our Colorado correctional facilities. I brainstormed a program that combined my librarian skills with a passion for second chances for those who are otherwise forgotten.

By creating a community of readers, and by encouraging respectful, nonjudgmental discourse that validates each participant’s self-worth, spirits are lifted and a sense of hope replaces desperation. This small program is impacting the offenders in measurable ways, and the program is growing – one book at a time, one moving discussion at a time – and resonates long after the last page has been read. How does one pass along the gift of reading?

The Words Beyond Bars program uses literature to examine who we are and to learn how to build and sustain meaningful relationships. Words Beyond Bars fosters hope and quality of life for those serving time. Characters, plots and historical settings drive the conversation from the pages of the book into the hearts and memories of the incarcerated. Perspectives shift as we discuss life choices, fear, regret and hope for a better future. Literature can chart the path to developing critical thinking skills. Reading is more than a tool –  it’s a process of engagement, preparing those who will eventually re-enter society, as well as easing the adjustment to life within prison.

“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes

Contact karenlausa@gmail.com for more information and to find out how to get involved.