Cutthroat Anglers

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Cutthroat Anglers Owner Trapper Rudd with fish

Cutthroat Newsletter - 8/26/07

We're still catching on hoppers! Many of our rivers are finally starting to fish more like September than August, which is a good thing if you didn't already know that. Fishing held out pretty well this summer considering the heat (I think the sun moved closer to the earth this year), but it's hard to beat fall weather and fishing in Colorado.

I've been floating "No Man's Land" (see our last newsletter for details here) about every day with great success. We landed this brown the other day and have seen plenty more like it taken on foam hoppers. If you're around and can fit it in, the next 60 days should be great!

This is always the time of year that most guides buy new waders. Old, leaky waders in the summer usually smell pretty bad, but cause minimal discomfort. As the weather cools, however, it's always nice to have a fresh pair. It's pretty rare to find high quality waders on sale, but we've got a few pairs marked down this year. See the article below for details.

Thanks for all of the positive feedback on the "What's Hot and What's Not" article in the last edition. It will certainly be back by popular demand in the future.

I'm off to throw some tailing loops in Alaska next week, so wish me luck and I'll give you the story when I return.

-Chris

Guide Talk

"That sounds like guide talk to me.

My guide sees fish that I can't see.

I caught none, my wife caught three.

Ain't gonna get no tip from me!"

-Todd Brown

We've all been there. You show up for a trip a little early and make your way across the parking lot. You're surrounded by a bunch of bearded guys dumping excess water out of drift boats and coolers, sucking down coffee and mini doughnuts, and chattering as if they're speaking a different language.What in the world are they talking about?

In my mind, the term "guide talk" can interpreted in one of two ways. One interpretation of the term is that it's B.S. that guides feed you on a slow day, such as "you should have been here yesterday. Fishing was so good we probably could have killed them on bare hooks!" The other interpretation of this term refers to extensive use of fishing slang that, for the most part, only guides understand fully. I'm going to address the latter in this article.

I have compiled a glossary of a few of many common "guide talk terms" for your information/entertainment. This is the PG-13 version, however. If you're interested in a complete dictionary study, you'll have to find us at the bar!

HUP!!!: This is one of the most used and versatile sounds in a guide's vocabulary. This sound (I guess it's not really even a word) can be substituted for almost any word in the English language. Generally, however, it means "set the hook!" on the river and "get me a beer while you're up" in an indoor setting.

Sticks: Slang for fly rods and oars.

Grass Grabbers: Small fish. The kind that are so small that when you set the hook, they go flying over your head and you have to find them in the grass behind you.

Skinny: Describes water that is extremely shallow or low.

Grease: Guide talk for dry fly floatant or gratuity.

Frog Water: Stagnant or very slow moving water in a river. Looks like perfect habitat for a frogs to reside, but is unlikely to hold too many trout.

Bugs: Refers to either natural aquatic insects or artificial flies.

Cheese: Egg Patterns.

Beads: Short for beadhead nymphs.

Heads Up: Fish rising or feeding on the surface.

Pellet Heads: "Pet fish" that live on trout chow rather than natural foods.

Beating: A day where know matter how hard you try, switch rigs, and change tactics, you can only turn a few fish.

Coffee Grinder: Spinning Reel.

Pool Toys: Unaccaptable whitewater craft including air mattresses, inner tubes, and inflatable dragons.

Role Reversal

John Gloudemans with a Kvichak River RainbowNext week I'm heading up to Alaska for the first time to host a trip with Clint Rossell and CJR Fly Fishing on the Kvichak River. I'm really pumped up for this adventure as it is expected to be the prime week for catching some of the biggest rainbows in the world. Hell, I'm just excited to go fishing really.

This, however, puts me in an interesting position. Instead of being the guide and running the show, I will have to put everthing I know (or think I know) about fly fishing aside. My role will be reversed for a week and I will get to spend a week as a client. I am constantly talking and writing about how to get the most out of a guided trip, how to book a trip, and how to prepare for a trip. Now it's time to practice what I preach. Here's my plan.

Although I have a fair understanding of fly fishing on our local rivers in Colorado, I realize that I know nothing about fly fishing in Alaska. I don't know how exactly I need to be rigged, what tyes of casts are appropriate, or where to find the fish. Upon arrival, I plan to make it clear that my goal is to learn as much as I can from the guides and that my hope is that if I learn enough, I'll catch some fish and come away from this experience a more complete angler.

My point is that no matter who you are there is always something to learn if you're willing to swallow your pride and become a sponge. Guides fish with other guides, ski instructors take ski lessons, Tiger Woods takes golf lessons, and Peyton Manning has a quarterback coach.

Tight Lines,
Chris Hall and Trapper Rudd
Cutthroat Anglers

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