Like A Good Neighbor ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

No, it's not a State Farm commercial.  It's a story about a fly fishing buddy and good friend, Garth... aka: "Maynard" of the Three Amigos.   We recently had a heavy water content of snow hit one day and topple over trees and put branches leaning over fences.  Garth just got done helping out his neighbors.  His back ached and his bones told him that he wasn't a spring chicken anymore.  But, where was he the next week?  In my backyard cutting down tree limbs off of 5 trees with his gas chainsaw.  He probably thought he looked short at 6'3 working between my sons, the "twin towers", at 6'5 and 6'6. 

A lot of work got done in a few hours...

We were so grateful.

I went fishing for those butter browns a few days before...

A perfect place to take Garth for a little R&R after his hard work...

So Saturday, we ventured out to a river that can sometimes be technical to fish and you go away just shaking your head.  But, I was hoping that a repeat of my last visit would bring Garth some nice fish to the net.  We did well.  The browns there are spooky.  When they see you coming, they shoot off like a fighter plane!  But, we found some places that held blind fish.  J/K

A fun day with a good friend.

~Sunday Tippets~

What is a good neighbor?  One who unselfishly gives time or service to another.  One who looks out for another.  One who doesn't look for accolades.  When you take the opportunity to be a good neighbor, you will be blessed.   It usually comes back around in some form.  Those that you help, will have full hearts and their loads will be lightened.   

Thanks my friend. 

 Now it's my turn to do something for someone else.  

Have a great week everyone!

The 24 Carat Adventure

The beautiful, spring weather was finally here after a very cold winter.  I was enjoying the warmer days of 60 degrees.  A friend of mine from Oregon told me that she was coming through Utah and that she could pick me up on the way to Colorado for a couple of days.  Sounded good!   It's been a few months since I've been anywhere.  As the days got closer, the weather forecast was looking colder again.  Of course!  There is one thing that I can predict about road trips.  Weather is unpredictable a lot of the time.  So, I got out my base layers and winter coats and was convinced that the trip would still be stellar even if it wasn't spring-like weather.  And I was right!  

We got into the Denver area in good time because Alice was driving.  Haha.  We were welcomed by a close friend that opened his family's home to us for a few days.  Such great people and so much fun to be around.  The next day would be the only warm and sunny day that we would have.  We got into big rainbows, cutbows, and browns.  Such a dream day of fishing.  It was perfect.  Our buddy, Rob, made sure that we had the time of our lives.  We did.

Alice was a little excited with this catch of a lifetime!

My favorite cutbow of the trip.  Such a beauty!

Another day, we met up with a bunch of our friends on a rather popular stretch of water as you can see.  Haha.  I have heard a lot about this blue ribbon fishery.  I was a little apprehensive when I got there, but was in good hands with friends who knew the place well.  I figured that the fish couldn't be any pickier than the Provo River fish.  = )  Put on those small bugs!!  So, I approached the top curve of a run and casted a couple of times and BOOM!

I decided that I liked this place.

And I had to have Rob in the picture as he helped net my nice catch!  Thank you, my friend...

On Saturday night, we had a get together at Rob's house.  It was the mother of all parties...  Rob's wife spoiled us with a HUGE buffet of appetizers like dates wrapped in bacon and jalepenos/cream cheese wrapped in bacon.  Oh yeah...  Anyone want some bbq steak or chicken with those twice baked potatoes?  Seriously, this was one of the best spreads that I have seen in a long time.  Maybe ever.  It was a fun night of visiting with fly fishing friends that we don't get to see very often.  

Our last stop was to fish small streams on the way out of town to go home.  My experience is mostly with bigger water, so I was excited to practice a bit of pocket water and a dry fly.  One of my catches was this beautiful Colorado Cutthroat.  I was standing on an upper road above the stream and saw this drop off  into a pool of water that would hold fish for sure.  I casted that dry down there...And I was right!  Now, it was a case of scaling down the rocks and snow to where I had been holding my line tight.  It was so awesome!

It was a 24 Carat Adventure... Great Friends, Fish, And Food!

Thanks to all who helped Alice and I have such a great time...

The Trip in Video...