Big Monsters in the Colorado River

There are many heroes in our line of work, whether the fishers waking up in the early morning hours to pluck the waters or the conservationists who work tirelessly to make sure that the beautiful lands of this country are healthy and taken care of, there are plenty of people doing whatever it takes to make sure we can do what we love. Some of these heroes are interested in learning new things about the waters of the world, one such person being Zeb Hogan, and his quest has brought him to the Colorado River. Hogan is famous world over for his fishing expertise.

According to this Wired article about him, “Zeb Hogan was already familiar with the legendary Mekong giant catfish. After all, he’d been studying the beasts, which grow to hundreds and hundreds of pounds, for years. But when a colleague in Thailand phoned him up in 2005 to say that fishermen had hauled a 646-pounder ashore, it seemed…unprecedented. So Hogan, a biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, did some poking around. He found some records that showed that it was not only the biggest Mekong giant catfish, but the biggest recorded freshwater fish ever caught.”

This sent Hogan on a whirlwind tour of freshwater fish. He has become obsessed with finding the biggest freshwater fish the world has to offer, and that has brought him to the Colorado River. He is particularly interested in the Colorado River and it’s little-known giant, the Colorado pikeminnow, and has been on a quest to learn more about it. Are you familiar with the Colorado pikeminnow? What is the largest freshwater fish you’ve come across? Let us know in the comments below. 

For more details, visit our homepage at http://www.leesferryflyfishing.com.

Winter Tactics for Fishing

It may be tough to brave the harsh winter weather on some days, but it’s all worth it when you return home with a nice large fish. That’s especially true when it comes to catching winter trout. Whether you’ve never fished for winter trout before, or it’s been awhile, take advantage of the following tips to catch more of them than ever before.

One of the most important things to remember is that trout aren’t quite as fast in the winter. You’ll want to search for fish in areas that are a constant, moderate temperature throughout the entire year, like in tailwaters. Once you locate some trout, you need to adapt to their winter behavior. They slow down, and so should the angler. They won’t be moving around quite as much, but they can still be easily scared off.

During the winter, most fly fishers try to use anglers that imitate small insects, which make up more than half of a trout’s diet during the winter. There are several great options to choose from, including black stoneflies and midges. You should also avoid using big strike indicators, and instead use a piece of yarn.

These are just a few tips to help you get started if you plan on fly fishing in a colder climate throughout the winter. By following these suggestions you should have no trouble bringing home some winter trout and other types of fish. For more fly fishing tips and suggestions, keep checking back with our team!

For more details, visit our homepage at http://www.leesferryflyfishing.com.

Drought Shows Grand Change to Colorado River

Lake Powell is one of the reservoirs on the Colorado River that sits between Utah and Arizona, and it also happens to be one of the better reservoirs to see just how bad the state of water in the southwest is becoming. Over the past few years Lake Powell has become a shadow of what it once was, and that is all thanks to the droughts that have been affecting the United States Southwest for well over a decade. The droughts have become so bad, that they are being recorded with a qualifier each year, such as severe or extreme.

Global warming has been affecting everyone, but the Colorado River is starting to see that in large folds, considering it is one of the few areas that supplies much of the western United States with water. That may not even be true soon, with the look at Lake Powell and seeing just how much the drought has changed some of the Colorado River’s water levels.

This is why there are so many plans currently in action to try and help with the maintaining of the water levels for the river. If we get to a point where these rivers have completely dried up we can expect to see massive changes to the ecosystem as well as severe water cut backs for much of the western population anyway. If we don’t control our water usage now, we will be forced to do it later.

And it’s not just for the people in the western states, as water becomes scarce in certain areas the prices on it will also rise for everyone. Despite our planet being 70% water, we may actually see a water shortage within the next decade if we don’t do something soon for our rivers.

Source: http://www.zmescience.com/ecology/climate/record-drought-colorado-river-24112014/ 

For more details, visit home at http://www.leesferryflyfishing.com.