Header
Header Block
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!


 
 Holy Cow....53 inches of new snow at Copper Mountain in the past 3 days???  Thanksgiving Day promises to offer some good skiing conditions for those who are willing to put up with the crowds.

  For those of you who can do without the skiers and outlet mall shoppers, we see some nice days ahead that bode well for some good fishing on the Blue.
 
 So far, our early winter is matching up with last year's record snowfall amounts.  Let's hope that our snowpack continues to grow to reasonable levels for healthy river flows and great fishing next Spring.
 
In this issue of our maybe-someday-be-award-winning newsletter:
 
  • Mark your calendars for the F3T Film Tour on February 12, 2015.
  • All of this snow is making us think about warmer environments.  Check out our exploratory trips to South Andros and Guanaja for future Cutthroat Anglers' trip offerings.
  • Mitch shares some thoughts on how a little boy's letter reminds us of what a good fly shop ought to be about.

 

 

Once again, Cutthroat Anglers will be joining other Summit County fly shops and the Town of Silverthorne to host and sponsor the annual F3T event, this time on February 12, 2015 at the Silverthorne Town Pavillion.  We are very proud to note that all proceeds will be going to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF), a program that is aimed at providing rehabilitation to veterans with injuries or disabilities. Last year was our first effort and we proudly raised more than $26,000, which was a new record for the PHWFF program.


 

The event will include a silent auction beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the film being introduced at 7:00 p.m.  There will be food available for purchase and a cash bar. You will be able to buy tickets at the door or at Cutthroat Anglers, the Colorado Angler, Blue River Anglers or the Mountain Angler. 


 

For those of you who attended last year, you'll remember that the silent auction included everything from certificates to our favorite Summit County eateries to African hunting safaris.  If you are interested in making a cash donation or wanting to contribute something for the silent auction, please let Jim know at the shop (buck@fishcolorado.com)  


 

Hope to see you there!

New Destination Trips for Cutthroat Anglers


 

One of many advantages for taking your next destination trip with us is that we always check out potential venues before we offer them to our clients - what looks great on the Internet doesn't always meet expectations (believe us, we know!!), and we want to help make sure you get the most bang for your buck and your expectations are met.

 

So, your intrepid hosts, Jim, Sean and Mitch, will be heading out to investigate two "new" locations to for possible trip offerings in the future:  Bair's Lodge on South Andros (www.bairslodge.com) and Guanaja (www.flyfishguanja.com). 

 

  

Bair's Lodge is situated on the southeast side of South Andros that provides convenient access to the unpressured southern and western flats of the island.  While all flats species are available for anglers, it's the unmatched, big bonefish that attract us to the area.  Sean and Jim bumped into Bair's Lodge on a recent trip to South Andros while investigating another nearby lodge, and the rave reviews by recent guests prompted their upcoming trip in February. They will always remember their last fishing experience in South Andros:  The two of them noticed that their guide was bypassing some gorgeous 6+ pound bonefish and when they asked why he just said, "Mon, we don't want those....we want the big ones."  Really.


 

 

 

Brandon and Reed from the shop first called our attention to this gem off the coast of Roatan in the Honduras as a potential spot for permit (www.flyfishguanaja.com).  Mitch and Jim will be heading down in January to check things out (yep, we know, it's a dirty job but someone has to do it....we only have your best interests at heart!).  At this point, words don't seem to do this place justice, so we'll just ask you to check out their website.  This promises to be a unique experience.  If this looks better than drifts of snow in your driveway and you want to help us evaluate this place, you can join us for our trip during the January 17-24 time frame for a discounted rate of $3600, a savings of $250. Just give Jim a holler at buck@fishcolorado.com.  
   

 

 

 

 

Fall to Winter and Joey's Letter
by
Mitch


 

 

Fall became Winter almost overnight this year in the High Country. One day it was warm and sunny, the next day it was well below freezing with snow accumulating inches over the running boards of my Suburban.

 

I hate my Suburban by the way.  I don't hate all Suburbans. Just mine.  It is made in Hell. But that is for another time. 

 

As winter crashed into our extended Fall, our shop went from seeing a steady flow of anglers and shoppers to a handful of visitors per day, leaving plenty of time to reflect on our successes (and misses) over the past fishing season. OK, you caught me. I was staring blankly into space for what might have been too lengthy a time by management standards. Anyway, and eventually, my eye caught onto a "new" piece of paper pinned to the wall behind our counter. Closer inspection revealed it was a "thank you" letter from 11-year-old Joey Hodge, one of our local Peak School students.  It was dated May 11th.  At least it was from 2014.

 

As I read his letter, I felt like a dope for not noticing, until now, that we had posted Joey's letter months ago for all to see. I was struck by his writing ability, his enthusiasm for fishing and his positive feelings for our shop. A feeling of pride began to well up. I was proud of our staff, our store and myself.  Here's the beginning of Joey's letter:

 

"I love your store and flies. When I fish your flies I always catch the biggest fish in the river. You have so many varieties of flies....My friends say I am a great fisherman but it is really thanks to your amazing flies"

 

 

While reading Joey's letter, I was mentally scrolling through some of our fly patterns, especially the new ones. Man, I thought, that new blue wing olive (bwo) nymph our manager, Sean, brought in was a killer fly during the afternoon a few weeks ago on the Colorado River. That new midge emerger that came in last week is going to be a ripper come this winter on the tailwaters.

 

Then I read, "My Grandpa, the one who taught me how to fish when I was four, says I fish like a pro." And it hit me. I realized I was missing the point a bit. Yes, we have great flies. Yes, we have a ton of patterns. But most fly shops carry decent numbers of flies that work. What does a good fly shop and Joey's Grandpa have in common? For one, they are both good teachers.

 

A good fly shop excels at the where, the when and the how to use the bwo nymphs or midge emergers that their customers purchase.  And that is where we had a good example of success this season. Joey, and our customers, went armed to the river with flies that work and the knowledge to make their day successful. I wonder if Joey's Grandpa needs a job?

 

Thanks for Reading! 

Cutthroat Anglers
Quick Links
Join Our Mailing List