Donation Relief For The East Coast

From the sound of things this storm that is about to hit the East coast is really nasty.  If you're feeling generous and wanting to be proactive in helping with this huge storm here is the link to the Red Cross donations page.

Epic Time Lapse Fail

We went to Garden of the Gods the other morning to try and capture some epic time lapse photography of Pikes Peak which is something I really want to include in future videos, and it didn't turn out the way we wanted.  We plan on sharing more of these type cut clips with you guys to show how much work it really is to accomplish some of the things we want to accomplish, and hopefully eventually have a finished product that we are happy with, and will get people excited about fishing here in Colorado.  Two things happened that morning that were working against us.

First is that I didn't clean the lens so there is dust in the video.  It is especially important to make sure the  the lens is clean before shooting with unlimited depth of field, which we were...  The next thing that was working against us was the weather.  When we started shooting the clouds were doing some crazy things over the Peak and we tried to time it so that at some point during the clip Pikes Peak would show it's freshly snow covered face, and it never did.  Still it never gets old watching clouds roll over Colorado's beautiful mountains so we at Coloradoflyfisher wanted to share.




Time Lapse Attempt Pikes Peak from coloradoflyfisher on Vimeo.

Regrow Colorado Water Bottles

Outtherecolorado.com shared this website on facebook and I wanted to share it with you guys and gals.  The site is called Regrow Colorado, and it was set up to raise funds and continued awareness toward recovering from the Waldo Canyon fire.  This includes planting new trees and supporting our local firefighters!  Sounds pretty good to me.  I've noticed it's a tendency to forget about natural disasters and the people hurt by them.  This would be a great way to show our support.

Basically you click here to go to the website and purchase the cool looking polar water bottle for $15 and a portion of the cost goes towards rebuilding Colorado.  The insulated water bottle is worth the fifteen bucks on its own, and when you combine that with a great local cause it's definitely worth it!

The Big Guide Sale!

Saturday the 20th of this month is our annual big Guide Sale at Anglers Covey Fly Shop.  As many of you may know guides love fishing gear and they have it in abundance.  Each year A.C. puts on a guide sale giving guides the opportunity to sell some of said gear to make room for next years models.  This is the perfect opportunity for the average consumer to get a gently used high end fly rod or reel for a great price.  It's the ultimate win win!

Guides get to make a little coin before the slow season and you get to own some great gear without breaking the bank.  The shop will have some great deals going as well!  This event has traditionally been a laid back fun time and is also a great opportunity to pick the brains of the guides who rarely all get together in one place.  The sale starts when the doors open at 9 a.m. and lasts til close at 6 p.m. so stop by and check it out!    

If A Fish Farts In The River Does It Make A Sound

I had an interesting experience today with what I affectionately refer to as a "yahoo".  A yahoo is someone who tells fish stories on a consistent basis, and would have you believe that their manhood hangs to their knees.  To question a yahoo is to question their manhood, and by definition is calling them a liar.  Yahoos are easy to spot because they're usually wearing the biggest hat and belt buckle, and have a strain in their voice from talking too loud and forcefully their entire life.

To quote Denzel Washington in the movie American Gangster by saying, "the loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room".  And you my yahoo friend are why many people in my humble opinion don't get into our sport, or leave it after only a few outings on the water.  I spend 150-200 days a year on the water either teaching or fishing so I find it humorous when yahoos try to comment on how new my waders and wading boots look after 3 seasons...

Just because some people take better care of their equipment than others doesn't mean you have the green light to try and clown on them because, "What?! you mean your boots lasted longer than a year? I must be a bigger MAN than you!".  Nope it just means that you are a yahoo, and yes your doodoo stinks so save your subtle jabs.  I'm writing this because I want anybody who has had an experience with a yahoo either on the river or in a shop to know that fishing is not about how loud you can be.

Fish don't have egos.  In fact it's been my experience that the bigger the fish the more humble they are, and the more they try and stay in the shadows.  Fish run and hide from people making tons of noise on the river.  Yahoos talking big game should learn to try and be more like the fish they tell stories about.  Everyone else, and this especially holds true for beginners, it's important to me that you know not to worry about loud and obnoxious people, and instead focus on the true spirit and meaning of flyfishing.

Flyfishing is about being in nature, and learning something new every time you get on the water.  It's about sharing your experiences with people you care about and having fun.  Trust me when i tell you that for every yahoo there are ten people willing to share a great spot or a fly that has been hot for them.  There are yahoos in all facets of life so please don't let a run in with one of them chase you out of the sport we love.  Because as many less insecure people know it's not the size of your fishing rod, it's how you use it.        

Cool Video By Dave Herber - 11 Mile Canyon

Anglers  Covey donated a corporate guide trip to Trout Unlimited CO for auction, and we had a great time yesterday at 11 Mile Canyon with the group that purchased it.  One of our guides Dave Herber took the time to collect the photos from yesterday and put together a great video of our adventure.  Check it out!

Important For Our Safety And Our Future

I was sitting down doing some reading and thinking about what it means to be a free society.  People seem to live under the illusion of having freedom in this country simply because well, its America!  Land of the free and home of the brave.  Free to eat what we want, say what we want, and do what we want.  Free to breathe the clean air, and free to live the life style we want so long as we pursue it.  Nothing in this world is free including the air you breathe.

Climate change is an ever growing cause of concern for many, and reason to joke and laugh at tree hugging liberals for others.  What many of us choose to ignore on a subconscious level are the signs that are all around us.  That we are paying for everything.  We pay in medical bills, and the loss of life, liberty and happiness.  This year we had the largest and most devastating fires in our states history!  And yet some of us continue to ignore even the possibility that we are experiencing climate change while we drive up to the gas pump and PAY 4 dollars a gallon.  

Big business and capitalism are sucking our planet dry, but as long as our favorite burger stand is still open and we can watch our favorite television programs promoting teen pregnancy and cheating then we are still free.  Laguna Beach and buff Italians with tans rejoice!  The article I was reading this morning was all about the more frequent appearance of chem trails and their true purpose and effect on our ecosystem.  

For those of you unfamiliar with what a chem trail is I am sure that most of you have seen one and never given it a second thought.  A lot of times they are hidden within the clouds which I have an aching suspicion is done on purpose so people assume it's a natural occurrence.  Here is a short video I took this morning of several of them over our beautiful city.   

    

Not only are they not natural, but it appears that they could have a very sinister purpose!  That purpose is to temporarily cool the climate by pumping metals in the air to reflect sunlight out of our atmosphere. The first question that comes to mind is how did they get financing for this, and second why is this happening without first telling the people the truth including potential environmental consequences and putting it to a vote?  We live in a free democracy right?


The truth is that many things that hurt our planet and our country are done without our permission and without the public having been informed that yes this could give you cancer.  The truth is that any time people do things that have a profound effect on the environment we all suffer.  Not just the plants and animals.  We all suffer because we are all connected.  You mean republicans and tree hugging liberals are connected?  An original strain of OUR STATES NATIVE FISH is somehow connected to all of us and is important?  Yes. Get over it.


I came across this documentary about chem trails, and it has some very strong proof that we are letting "the powers that be" mess up our environment for financial gain and a short term cooling of our planet.  Essentially trying to control weather and weather patterns meanwhile making our planet warmer and killing off plant life in the process.  No plant life and warmer temps are historically bad for fish.  BAD FOR FISH...  You my friends are connected to the fish!  Connected a lot both literally and figuratively if we have anything to say about it.


Why am I ranting?  Because everybody and their mom should be ranting about this.  In fact we should all be demanding from our government to know what is in these chem trails and then we the people decide if it continues.  That is how our democracy should run.  The entire country puts to a vote whether or not the product (things like bottled water) are worth the cost (killing our planet).  And we decide the future, and hopefully as a people decide that a green planet and air that is free of chemicals which cause disease is more important than convenience.  We need to stop leaving it up to 1 percent of this country to decide what's best for the other 300 million people.

So that our children can enjoy the things we have, and enjoy true freedom!

I leave you with this video and a message.  The video is the study about chem trails and climate change which is pretty dang long, but all you really need to watch is the first ten minutes to get an idea of why we should all be concerned.  My message is to turn off the tv and start paying attention to the true subjects of importance.  Compassion for other people and our planet is a good start.  Preaching a true message of equality and of a free democracy where we all vote on the important subjects rather than the crap we are bombarded with by the media controlled by a select few.  Watch this video and write your congressman.  Live life to it's fullest!

Kleis's Korner Gear Review - Gopro HD Hero 2 Camera

Let me start by saying that I one hundred and ten percent love the Gopro cameras!  However, there are a few things that I think people need to understand before making a purchase; this especially holds true for anglers.  At the end of the day, the pros far outweigh the cons!

One of the biggest attributes and what makes this camera so popular is that it shoots broadcast quality high def. 1080p video and it's extremely small. It is waterproof while in it's waterproof housing so you don't have to worry about taking a spill with your camera on you, and the HD Hero 2s actually take great still photos as well.  Gopro has done an excellent job of taking the guts that would be in larger HD cameras and shrinking it down to size.  The picture quality is as good as cameras that would cost four times as much.  Here is a sample video with the camera mounted on my head to show you guys what I'm talking about.  Make sure to turn the quality up to 1080 to get a full appreciation of this clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvdU_enMBDQ&list=UUykRVZCzc45NtHBn-HQRnkQ&index=9&feature=plcp

Now let me explain the things that aren't obvious that most buyers would expect to have that this camera does not.  This camera does not have a built in LCD screen or viewfinder.  What does this mean for you?  It means that you have to get really good at either guessing what the camera is seeing based on it's wide focal length, or you have to fork over the extra 80 bones to get the LCD BacPac.  This is the price you pay for being able to have the guts of a more expensive camera and still keep the cost low.

Another small downfall is that as long as the camera is in the waterproof housing it cannot record sound. Each Gopro kit comes with a back that is sealed so the elements stay out, and a replacement back that has open vents so you can pick up sounds while risking getting the camera wet if you fall in.  Last and most important for anglers is the fact that if you planned on shooting great underwater video with this camera then you need to invest in the "Dive" housing.  The reason you ask?  It's because even though this camera is advertised as being waterproof the normal housing for the camera is horribly out of focus while submerged.  The Dive housing corrects this and it runs $50.  I'm sure that after watching this you will agree that it is definitely worth the extra cash!  Again turn this one up to 1080 before watching.






Let it be known that all of these "cons" I'm talking about aren't really that bad considering what you're getting for the price.  These are just things that consumers need to be aware of, and is why I wanted to write this review.  Make no mistake this is a very good camera for an even better price that a lot of professionals are using these days.  It might surprise a lot of people to know just how many commercials and t.v. shows we see every day that were shot with the Gopro.  I give this camera a 9 out of 10 for it's size, versatility, and above all else picture quality.  For $300 there currently isn't a better video camera on the market in that price range.

For questions concerning this article or to find out my rates and availability for a guided trip shoot me an email at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com

Colorado Fly Fishing On Film

How To Spot A School Of Kokanee Salmon from coloradoflyfisher on Vimeo.




Pikes Peak Time Lapse from coloradoflyfisher on Vimeo.

Trivia Time - Scared Crapless

So this is completely unrelated to flyfishing but who is more scary.  The big bear?  Or this crazy old lady?  You be the judge!

South Platte Fishing Report 10-4-2012

It's that time of year again when Colorado scenery is unmatched, temps are finally consistently cooler, brown trout are starting to run, and Pike and Lake Trout are searching the shallows looking for big bites before winter grabs us with it's icy grip.  The South Platte in spots is fishing very good.

Tricos are coming off later in the morning in both 11 Mile Canyon and the Dream Stream.  Look for Tricos to emerge starting around 8:30 a.m. with the spinner fall happening around 10:30-11 a.m. and lasting about an hour.  Fish are still feeding pretty heavily on Trico Spinners, but they are staying close to cover when up top.  So look for them tight against undercut banks and rocks, and in areas with overhanging bushes.  The cooler temps are killing off the weeds in both the canyon and the dream stream as well so be prepared to clean gunk off your flies every third or so drift if you're nymphing.

Flows are in the 140's c.f.s. for the Dream Stream, and in the mid 80's c.f.s. for 11 Mile Canyon.  Both are great flows, and as temps continue to cool we will start to see more browns moving in.  As for Cheesman Canyon and Deckers the flow is 92 c.f.s.  I haven't fished either area in months but I have heard reports that Deckers hasn't been fishing so hot which is typical for this time of year, and I haven't heard a single bad report about Cheesman all year.  In fact Cheesman is on the top of my list of spots to hit before the snow starts really falling.

Flies to have in your box for the entire South Platte Drainage are:  Barr's Emergers in a BWO flavor, Black Beauties, Eggs, Red San Juan Worms, Black and Olive RS-2's, Black and Olive Mojo Midges, Buckskins, Bubbleback Midges, Red Copper Johns, South Platte Brassies, Barr's Trico Vis-A-Dun, Pearl Butt Trico Spinners, and Matt's Midge in Black.

If interested in doing a guided trip with me this fall shoot me an email at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com

Thanks and tight lines!

Scared Antelope

Where there was three there is now two extremely scared Antelope.  As you can tell in the video they are a lot more comfortable in these people's front yard next to the road than they are grazing out in the open like they normally do.  At one point not seen in the video we actually tried to scare them, and they ran ten feet in one direction and then quickly turned back like they realized it was still safer with the humans in the jeep than out there with someones giant pet chihuahua...


We went up yesterday with the intention of trying to catch the "Wolfy" looking predator that some have claimed is just a Coyote on film so that I could show you guys what I've been seeing and put an end to the mystery but the dog was a no show.  Still his presence alone was enough to keep what's left of the antelope glued to the house and road.  We shot a little video for you guys to see what Im talking about.

Kokanee Release Footage Short

Here is a short video of Kristen releasing some Kokes on the Gunni.  The footage was taken pre stabilizer rig, and pre underwater focus correcting housing for the gopro.  So it's not as stable as we would like and the focus underwater is half of what it's going to be in about a week, but we figured we'd share anyways.  Hope you enjoy!



Salmon Fishing The Gunni from coloradoflyfisher on Vimeo.

Building A Camera Stabilizer Rig

I wanted to share with everyone my custom camera stabilizer rig made out of PVC pipe.  It is 1/2 inch pvc and various elbows and t-joints all covered in electrical tape.  There are a ton of waterproof video cameras on the market and plenty of anglers and photographers using them.  Many of these underwater camera's are small handhelds, and that makes them hard to hold steady.

When searching the web for an affordable solution I came across this gem.



This guy put out this video with a killer and affordable home made rig.  Mine is literally the same with a few modifications.  I made the front wider because my gopro cameras have a pretty wide angle and I have huge hands, and I didn't want the sides of the rig or my hands to show up in my footage.  I used electrical tape instead of the hockey tape he used in the video because it is a little more water proof and I fully intend on submerging this thing in a trout stream.  Also I couldn't find a bicycle handle grip that I was happy with so I opted for tennis racket handle tape.  The cost was a little more than he advertised in the video but that was because I purchased the materials at Lowes rather than online.

Anyone interested in having me build you one or have any questions shoot me an email at jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com

Tight Lines!