Taylor Park - 7/10/2010

How convenient, an old outhouse along the trail

View near campsite

Dirk attempts to maneuver over a fallen tree

Success!

Highest point of our ride that day

Scenery was amazing

Taylor river, downstream several miles from the acclaimed "Hog's Trough"

Pulled this tree to the campsite with the quad.  Emmie questioning the commotion

Time to make fire wood

Lake Wehrspann - Omaha, NE - 7/5/2010

We decided to take the boat out to Chalco Hills to try for a repeat of our fantastic 2009 4th of July largemouth outing.  My nephew Jacob had the opportunity to try out his new gift from Grandpa, a spinning outfit "Cabela's finest" as he told us.  Jim and I fished plastics along shoreline cover, catching several 2-3lbers while Jacob practiced catching bluegill with a worm under a bobber in order to get used to casting a spinning reel.  He quickly earned the nickname, "backlash" and will never live it down.

A couple hours into the outing, after Jim finished un-knotting another one of Jacob's bird's nests of a backlash, we casted Jacob's worm behind the boat and began trolling to our next spot.  I turned around to see his bobber gone and a huge wave around it.  Long story short, he caught a monster female largemouth that was, no doubt, the largest fish any of us have caught out of that lake...ever.  Funny enough, he was fishing a bluegill rig.  It weighed in at 5lbs on our old rusty spring scale, although I would venture a guess it pushed 6lbs.  It's outings like this that can make a young guy a fisherman for life.  Awesome catch!

Colorado Wine Country (and fishing) - Grand Junction, CO - 5/28/10

In May of 2010, Michael, Mary Beth, Christi, and I had a wild idea to embark on a 3-day weekend mini-vacation to west CO in search of good wine and fish on the fly.  Vineyards and fly fishing?!?  Didn't take much convincing.

On day 1, we drove 1hr45min S.E. from Grand Junction to wade the waters of the Uncompahgre river.  This was the most beautiful part of Colorado I've seen to-date.  Ralph Lauren owns the land behind the stretch we fished, and after seeing it in person...I totally understand why.

I must say we look good, geeked out in fly fishing gear.

Nymph-Dropper was name of game.  Copper John (size 16) trailed by Bead Head Black Beauty (size 22)

Hare's Ear Nymph (size 18) trailed by Black Beauty (size 20)

 Fish ON.

Fish ON.  Who ever said fly fishing isn't a couples sport?

Michael's turn to net

 Fish ON.

 The owners of this vineyard are ex-aerospace engineers.  Mary Beth immediately fell in love with the place.

Underground cellar

A beaver seen at the Grand Mesa lakes area.

Making some high-altitude cobbler using the Jet burner stove.

Reeder Mesa Winery

WineOpoly:  a unique spin on one of my favorite board games

This is God's Country.

Blue River - Silverthorne, CO - 3/21/2010

Mysis Shrimp - size 16-18.  Trailed by one of the below midges.

Tungsten Bead Head Copper Black Beauty - size 22-24

Cream Miracle Midge - size 22-24 (caught 4 fish near 11am)