Topic: 1976 CB500/550 Project "Squirrel"

[RAFster122s]

Is this the same guy who goes away and comes back as different names.  Did he get ran off by mods or just the members mocking and driving him to leave only to find he likes abuse since he kept coming back for more.  The revisionist history being priceless.  I bet he hates twitter as you can't edit what you've spouted off about.

So, River,  are you catching and releasing all of them or do you keep any to eat?  How do you make the decision on which  ones are released or kept if they are above minimum size?

So, were you merely messing with us to get a rise out of Cal or are you serious about possibly selling?  Why?

David

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

It's all good!

Looking forward to Cal and Chris' electrical creation.

[riverfever]

So, River, are you catching and releasing all of them or do you keep any to eat?  How do you make the decision on which  ones are released or kept if they are above minimum size?

So, were you merely messing with us to get a rise out of Cal or are you serious about possibly selling?  Why?

David

Interesting that you would ask that right now David. I have always practiced catch and release. However, I have always wanted to hunt deer and elk but I just don't know that I could pull the trigger when the time came. I've become more and more interested in hunting just recently and keep telling myself that I should start small by keeping a fish here and there and see how I feel about that and then continue to think things over. Until recently, most of the places that I regularly fish are designated Gold Medal water and are catch and release only. I guess it was about a year ago that one  of the nearby sections of the South Platte was changed to a 2 fish bag limit (minimum 16") and that's where that fish was pulled from. For a second I really considered keeping it but I was fairly certain it might have been a Kamloops strain of Rainbow (some call it a Hofer strain) and preferred to let it go and allow someone else to catch it. It isn't that big of a deal really but that Bow was just a little different than others the way it was all lit up. Hell...might have been a neon sign saying "dinner."

The one thing I have not liked about living here is trying to get this motorcycle running right but I'm hoping that will change with all of these upgrade$. I texted Cal earlier yesterday morning and wanted to know if there was anything I could do while waiting to get the pieces that he made for me and there just isn't. So with time off work I've been spending my days on the water. I can't sell this bike. I haven't even enjoyed it yet.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I got a sneak peak of the parts Cal is making.  Berry nice! 

My fishing experience is quite limited.  We used to do some fishing in connection with camping, and we'd catch enough to feed us for dinner.  I could see if you fish frequently that you would not want to deplete the supply.

Hunting is another story.  I have shot several firearms at inanimate targets, but for me personally, I'd need to be quite hungry to end a furry critter's life with a bullet.  I don't know why it's easier with a fish.

[riverfever]

I do have some pics of what's coming though that I can share.

Some might question (I've had this talk with many who have seen my bike in person) why I'm leaving the side covers and everything in the triangles stock instead of moving it all under a solo seat. Well...there's several reasons. I'd like to eventually be able to take some light trips with this bike and see if I enjoy that before considering a second bike like a KTM 690 or a 990 that could handle limited stretches of pavement and days of fire roads. Probably the bigger reason for leaving that area alone is that getting this thing to run up here has been difficult enough and I have zero desire to pull that stock air box and have to address more tuning issues and things would look silly (IMHO) with no side covers and that sitting there. So I wanted all of this Motogadget stuff mounted where the stock electrical components live. I asked Cal if he would be able to help me by coming up with a panel that would do the trick. I don't think this is the finished product but it will give an idea of what we're doing.



We'll also be using the stock bracket off the starter solenoid and mount that solenoid to the right of the M Unit. The R/R will attach to the back side of this panel (towards the rear of the bike). Space is really limited under that cover but I hope this works out.

Next up was where to mount the M Lock. Cal will have to confirm but I think this was the most challenging part. Originally we wanted it under the side cover but we were worried about it reading the fob under there. We talked about drilling some small holes in the cover (just in the area it was mounted to make reading easier but didn't care for that idea. We talked about having it in the bar end but I use bar end mirrors. We also kicked around simply having it mount in the stock location down by the #1 header and that's where we ended up. I love this location and the idea that Cal came up with. It kind of follows the rest of the theme of the bike. Keeping the look of a mostly stock motorcycle (again with the stock seat and side covers and ignition location) but with the use of very modern components. I'm really excited about this piece. I know it took a lot of work and time on Cal's part and I appreciate it and know that I can only pay it forward because he clams up when I suggest I should send him money for his efforts (that's really the only way I can get him).

This piece started off with a solid bar of aluminum (1.5" X 3.25") and ended this way. The wires for the M Lock will pass all the way through it.



The business end looks like this.









We went back and forth a bit on how to attach this to the frame but eventually decided to just drill the body of the aluminum, tap it, and use a 6mm bolt to secure it to the stock tab on the frame. This part will not get touched so I hope it's enough to keep it secure. This piece really keeps with the minimal theme that I've been after and (kind of like the license plate bracket) will appear to just be floating there. The wires will then just travel up the frame to the backbone and then back to the M Unit. We thought about anodizing this black. This would have been really discrete and hidden it but then I thought polishing it (you all know how much I love polishing alloy) would make it stick out a just a bit. For people that know these bikes they will wonder what in the world it is. It will also go nicely with the rest of the polished pieces I have now.

Thanks again for your help Cal.

[RAFster122s]

Chris,  youcan hunt big game with a camera with some good lenses and not be limited in your hunting season.  Just be sure you buy a good 357 or 44 magnum and use loads that will penetrate a bear's scull were it to attack you.  Practice with it so you are accurate and practice some more.  Have it MagNa Ported , MagNa Brake and MagNa Lifed  as it greatly helps with the big caliber handguns be very easy to bring back on target and be extremely accurate.  I was extremely surprised how controllable and accurate it made such a big gun.  Well worth the money.

So, hunt your elk and deer with a good camera.  It can be just as exciting especially if you are tracking or trying to stalk and sneak up on them to get a better picture.  Being in bear country you have to be aware of your surroundings and avoid the interacts with them at all costs.

You know how to tell grizzly bear scat from brown bear scat?
Grizzly scat has those little bells people wear to warn bears of their presence.  Those are grizzly dinner bells.

Having the perseverance to stick with it is important.  So many failed bike projects do get sold off...it is usually because people bite off more than they can chew and don't break it down into bite size pieces.  That is the only way you can eat an elephant, one bite at a time.  Just need a big freezer for storing it in and a good cookbook for elephant...  I understand the Israelites ran out of ways to cook manna and were complaining about it for a few years...

Lucky you don't have that big of a project ahead.  And plenty of enjoyable time ahead on the bike.
plus the support and all the harassment/ribbing you can take from people here.



Merry Christmas everyone!  I love you Bedford Falls...


David

[riverfever]

That's an interesting idea David. Hunting them through the camera lens, glassing for them and then stalking. That might give a good idea, after all the work put in to get close, if I could finish things. Thanks. I'm going to give that some thought.

There have for sure been times when I have wanted to sell this motorcycle but now is not one of those times. Finishing the electrical will be a huge achievement but I do feel like there is so much more to do before this thing is actually completed (wheels, painting the frame, tank and side covers and all the little things and probably more and then putting the thing all back together). Sometimes I kick myself for building this thing in a manner that seems to be different than how most would do it (like stripping the thing down right away and starting with a freshly painted frame and then working in steps that would move along more sequentially). Being my first bike and all and knowing how much disposable money I have each month to spend on this project, I really feared that I would very quickly reach a point where it wasn't fun (after years of pieces laying in the garage) and have to let it go for virtually nothing because it was in boxes. Oh well. I suppose I still wind up at the same ending point regardless of the journey. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Chris,  youcan hunt big game with a camera with some good lenses and not be limited in your hunting season.  Just be sure you buy a good 357 or 44 magnum and use loads that will penetrate a bear's scull were it to attack you.  Practice with it so you are accurate and practice some more.  Have it MagNa Ported , MagNa Brake and MagNa Lifed  as it greatly helps with the big caliber handguns be very easy to bring back on target and be extremely accurate.  I was extremely surprised how controllable and accurate it made such a big gun.  Well worth the money.

So, hunt your elk and deer with a good camera.  It can be just as exciting especially if you are tracking or trying to stalk and sneak up on them to get a better picture.  Being in bear country you have to be aware of your surroundings and avoid the interacts with them at all costs.

You know how to tell grizzly bear scat from brown bear scat?
Grizzly scat has those little bells people wear to warn bears of their presence.  Those are grizzly dinner bells.

Having the perseverance to stick with it is important.  So many failed bike projects do get sold off...it is usually because people bite off more than they can chew and don't break it down into bite size pieces.  That is the only way you can eat an elephant, one bite at a time.  Just need a big freezer for storing it in and a good cookbook for elephant...  I understand the Israelites ran out of ways to cook manna and were complaining about it for a few years...

Lucky you don't have that big of a project ahead.  And plenty of enjoyable time ahead on the bike.
plus the support and all the harassment/ribbing you can take from people here.



Merry Christmas everyone!  I love you Bedford Falls...


David

[joeyvans]

Cal - you should publish that.... good on you!

I have good buddies that would agree with everything you said about bow hunting. Growing up around it, deer hunting with a high powered rifle just seems like a quick easy way to get meat. Granted... I live in Eastern ND, so hiking is unnecessary. Just drive to the next county road a mile away. Not my bag. I'd rather plink steel at 800 yards with that high powered rifle.

Bow hunting is for the diehards that are in it for the thrill and challenge. I think it would be a perfect fit for Chris.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[riverfever]

I've given a lot of thought to getting a bow and learning to shoot. My backyard is all national forest so there's loads of places that I could shoot it as well as a really nice 3D range that's close by. I'm going to think about that over the winter. I completely understand everything you're saying Cal and it makes sense and it parallels the way I fish. Thank you.

Today I went out and fished in a remote canyon that I go in a lot. I tend to cover a lot of water when I fish and it's very rare that I make a cast unless I can see a fish and I know that it's feeding. That's my favorite. I've worked big fish for over an hour and finally hooked up because I took the time to figure out what's going on (changing flies, sizes, colors, changing weight, depth, etc.). That's the kind of fly fishing that I dig. Stalking. Finding a feeding fish. Observing it. Being patient and then...making my move. I see a lot of people that are just too eager and blow their wad. I also see a lot of people that are just out there hope casting. Casting at nothing in particular with the hope that a fish will somehow find their offering to be more attractive than the hundreds of bugs that are being delivered within inches of their mouth every minute. Not judging. Some folks are happy just to be on the water and if that works for them then that's great. Probably why I generally fish alone. My friends don't understand. Only my guide friends get it. I've had times when, because of the position of light or whatever, I've been belly in the weeds with just my elbow bent making casts at spooky fish to seal the deal. Sounds a lot like what you talk about and, I can only assume, more challenging than sitting perched on a rock 300 yards away with a high power scope and a big boy rifle. Wouldn't know. I'm ignorant to both.

Now I need to look into bow hunting.

[Restoration Fan]

A 300 yard shot with a rifle is a LOT harder than people think. Sure, you've got a scope and a rifle capable, but are you capable of making that shot? That's the big variable in rifle hunting. Plus the elements of wind, vertical elevation changes, and adrenaline all make for challenges that people never understand until they're in that situation.

Very true.  I wager that less than 1 out of 4 or 5 hunters can reliably make a 300 yard kill shot on a consistent basis.

[riverfever]

And I meant no disrespect as I'm sure it's very difficult to do.

[Lostboy Steve]

Very true.  I wager that less than 1 out of 50 hunters can reliably make a 300 yard kill shot on a consistent basis.

Most either don't have the equipment, skills, or practice area to even try. The old adage of " 1 inch high at 100" is malarkey and proof they have no clue where their rifle will shoot when fired.

Conversely, you get the dolt who prattles on with "rifles are so dangerous because the bullet keeps going for miles..."  They obviously missed the whole "physics day" in school hen gravity was exposed.

I lack all three and living where I do won't ever have the opportunity to change that. Hopefully one day though. I've though about the hunt. I would t mind deer hunting as I've always enjoyed venison. I have thought about how I don't know if I could kill an animal for sport, but then I think of all the wonderful meat products I could make and it seems easy. Maybe one of these days I'll go to the class and get the hunting license.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[riverfever]

A couple from today.

[RAFster122s]

That ability with a rifle is what separates a hunter who does it for sport versus those who do it for so many other reasons.  Those who bag a deer and give it away are not those I will associate with.  It is not ethical in my opinion.  Problem is the deer population is so out of control it leads to starving herds and automobile deaths of the deer far too frequently.  We decimate the forests in urban areas and then complain when the deer and other animals that are displaced are eating their yard's shrubbery or vegetables or causing accidents because their territory is being destroyed and taken over by housing or industry.
Lack of natural predators is also a link in that upset balance.

Just because someone wants to become a good shot at distance, few do because they do not approach the shots with all the factors that Cal mentioned and more.  Lots of good shots that wash out of sniper school too.
100 yds or less would be more common shots, shooting beyond your skill level often yields a wounded deer that escapes and suffers from a wound and that hunter's tracking skills are not on the level of a deer's evasion skills.


David

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Chris,

That spot looks beautiful but a wee bit chilly.

[riverfever]

Chris,

That spot looks beautiful but a wee bit chilly.

Oh no. Temps were in the mid 40's. It was gorgeous.

[RAFster122s]

It does look gorgeous Chris, would love to have been there to watch you do your work and shadowed you while you fished...standing well clear of course.  Was it Bridges of Madison county that spurred more interest of fly fishing years back where he was standing about casting repeatedly.  Guess that works when the fish are running up/down stream feeding as they go...coming to you.

Colorado is beautiful.  Lots of people back east who are accustomed to guard rails are a little freaked out by many of the mountain switchback roads that have zero guardrails.  Been on a few of them...they make you uneasy when in a vehicle that is a rental and you aren't accustom to it's idiosyncrasies. Drove a Mitsubishi Montero on one trip.  Drove into a Rocky Mountain National Park entrance right around dusk and barely missed nailing a herd of caribou deciding it was the time to cross in front of me out of the growing gray.  Barely stopped in time.  I guess my lighting their path across the road was their signal to go...

Picked up my sister at the airport last year during a light snow storm. She returned from a trip to find a dead battery in her truck. On the way from the airport to her place cutting across a ridge taking back roads to eliminate a 5 mile jog going main roads a herd of 8 deer of various sizes crossed in front of us. I had the fog lights on in the Subaru Outback and saw them in plenty of time. A couple stopped in the road briefly just to look at us 12-15 feet from them...  stupid deer.
 
Coyotes are growing by leap in bounds across the nation...they are smart and in a pack they will take down deer if they can.   Was surprised to see one cross the interstate in front of me about 1/2 mile ahead when I was moving back to NE TN back in early 2013.  Unmistakable profile and I didn't realize they had grown so widespread in their range.  They are very common in the west and frequently seen at night if you are out and about even in the cities, using the washes as their paths into the city at dark.

One of my coworkers had photos of a wildcat/bobcat asleep in his back yard corner beneath a pine tree he had planted.  He would get a clue it was around if the cats would refuse to go into the backyard or if they were staring out the windows for long periods of time.
A few even caught photos of cougars in their backyards getting a drink from their pools.  That was when I lived in Tucson.  Sierra Vista had even more coyotes and scorpions and tarantulas were more common as well as javelina (commonly called... Javelina but, they are actually Collared Peccary.)
https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Javelina.php 

I digress.

By the way, not that I have seen him much around lately but Cal's buddy SoyBoySigh has an account over on the CX/GL 500 forums.  I was shocked to see it while over there catching up on a couple threads I was following that had become active again and checking some new ones that piqued my interest.  a '78 cx plastic maggot has been one of my rides...

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Chris,

That spot looks beautiful but a wee bit chilly.

Oh no. Temps were in the mid 40's. It was gorgeous.

You say mid 40's like it's balmy.

[riverfever]

The plan for me all along after moving here was to guide full time and stop teaching but...it's a hard life and tough to make ends meet unless you are one of a few very talented guides. I eventually decided to stick with teaching but there are still times when I think I'd like to guide. Last year I had two offers with outfitters. I walked away from the first option after a discussion with the owner that just seemed shady. His policy was to call clients a few days before and let them know all the things they would need to run out and purchase (the most intimidating being flies which a lot of people wouldn't know what to get and it can vary so much depending on the location and time of day). After overwhelming the client, his move was to then tell them that he can get the supplies for them with his guide discount and save them a bunch of money. It was a shady move to work for a better tip but it felt wrong to me so we parted ways.

About a year later I got lucky and hooked up with a very well known outfitter out of Denver. The owner agreed to meet me for lunch and do an interview. We got along and next he wanted to see me fish. We went out a few days later and I was stunned with what I saw. The bug life on the South Platte is very small (we typically fish size 20-24 flies and use 6x tippet which is very thin). He was fishing size 16 flies and using 3 and 4x tippet. When I quizzed him on it he said that trout are dumb and don't know any better. This is totally incorrect but who am I to argue that to a successful guide who has endless pics of clients with trophy trout on his website? Within the first 15 minutes that we were on the water I was completely turned off. The reason he was using the tippet and flies that he was using was because he was snagging. He brought 20 huge fish to the net in a few hours and every one of them was snagged. I saw fish dragged to the shore by their gills, fins, and sides that day. It made me sick. I hate when it happens but, sometimes, you force feed a fish and foul hook it. I had fair hooked some really nice fish that day and I got the job offer but I turned it down. I was devastated. I am friends with some amazing guides and I know they are not just worried about slaying fish all day but actually teaching fly fishing and ethics while they're at it. I have one friend who is nationally known and there's times when I see him working and will just stop and sit and watch. I learn stuff by observing him from the far bank. Since that last experience I've just stuck with guiding friends that come out here but I still think about finding a deal where I could do it more regularly during my summers off.

David...you said caribou. Did you mean elk? The reason it gave me pause was because back in 2005 or 2006 there was actually a caribou that was hit and killed just north of Denver. It was all over the news. The thing was huge. Very unusual.

There's one place in particular that I will fish streamer patterns at night during the fall for exceptionally large Brown Trout. That's the only time I carry my gun with me. While there are black bear and mountain lions around it is the coyotes that concern me the most. There's been times when I've heard something and turned on my headlamp to see three or so of them walking right up to me to check things out. That's the sketchiest I've ever had it but it's a bit unnerving. There's a large pack of them nearby and I usually always hear them howling at some point (when the fishing is in it's prime in the fall and it's a full moon I'll usually fish from 11 until sun up).

We have a lot of lion sightings by the house and I see kills quite often. Haven't been lucky enough to see one yet but I did have a Bobcat walk right past me last year as I fished a really remote creek. It was probably the coolest experience I've had in the outdoors. He walked about 30 yards away from me right on the bank and then stopped to take another look before slowly turning and continuing on his way. Absolutely beautiful creature.

It does look gorgeous Chris, would love to have been there to watch you do your work and shadowed you while you fished...standing well clear of course.  Was it Bridges of Madison county that spurred more interest of fly fishing years back where he was standing about casting repeatedly.  Guess that works when the fish are running up/down stream feeding as they go...coming to you.

Colorado is beautiful.  Lots of people back east who are accustomed to guard rails are a little freaked out by many of the mountain switchback roads that have zero guardrails.  Been on a few of them...they make you uneasy when in a vehicle that is a rental and you aren't accustom to it's idiosyncrasies. Drove a Mitsubishi Montero on one trip.  Drove into a Rocky Mountain National Park entrance right around dusk and barely missed nailing a herd of caribou deciding it was the time to cross in front of me out of the growing gray.  Barely stopped in time.  I guess my lighting their path across the road was their signal to go...

Picked up my sister at the airport last year during a light snow storm. She returned from a trip to find a dead battery in her truck. On the way from the airport to her place cutting across a ridge taking back roads to eliminate a 5 mile jog going main roads a herd of 8 deer of various sizes crossed in front of us. I had the fog lights on in the Subaru Outback and saw them in plenty of time. A couple stopped in the road briefly just to look at us 12-15 feet from them...  stupid deer.
 
Coyotes are growing by leap in bounds across the nation...they are smart and in a pack they will take down deer if they can.   Was surprised to see one cross the interstate in front of me about 1/2 mile ahead when I was moving back to NE TN back in early 2013.  Unmistakable profile and I didn't realize they had grown so widespread in their range.  They are very common in the west and frequently seen at night if you are out and about even in the cities, using the washes as their paths into the city at dark.

One of my coworkers had photos of a wildcat/bobcat asleep in his back yard corner beneath a pine tree he had planted.  He would get a clue it was around if the cats would refuse to go into the backyard or if they were staring out the windows for long periods of time.
A few even caught photos of cougars in their backyards getting a drink from their pools.  That was when I lived in Tucson.  Sierra Vista had even more coyotes and scorpions and tarantulas were more common as well as javelina (commonly called... Javelina but, they are actually Collared Peccary.)
https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Javelina.php 

I digress.

By the way, not that I have seen him much around lately but Cal's buddy SoyBoySigh has an account over on the CX/GL 500 forums.  I was shocked to see it while over there catching up on a couple threads I was following that had become active again and checking some new ones that piqued my interest.  a '78 cx plastic maggot has been one of my rides...

[riverfever]

Chris,

That spot looks beautiful but a wee bit chilly.

Oh no. Temps were in the mid 40's. It was gorgeous.

I know it's hard to wrap your head around but 45 degrees here in the winter is actually very warm feeling. Now in the shadows it will be noticeably cooler but if you're in the sun it's very comfortable.

You say mid 40's like it's balmy.

[RAFster122s]

I believe it was caribou, seen lots of elk in Northern AZ when I have been up there.  I was surprised by it as well.  Not that elk are all that small either.  Moose are common in Sweden so much so that Volvo has testing in their crash testing to ensure that a moose strike by the car would not allow the moose to penetrate the cabin to kill the occupants.  Not sure if that remains true having been bought by an Asian company now.

But I could be mistaken... Their antlers were different from most all elk I have seen.  I know elk are far more prevalent in Colorado.  It wasn't Mule Deer either.  Didn't have the dark shaggy fur of an elk around their neck...
Apparently given the big deal the caribou had made from being present I must be mistaken...
This was around 1990-1992 when I was out in Denver on a business trip and running around after class got out...  driving all over the place. Didn't see much of the park because of the rapid darkness as it was winter time, January if I recall correctly.

Driving down the side of one mountain and across a narrow strip of road through the middle of a lake with what appeared like a sizable lake connecting the two sides of a mountain was a weird sensation...  I don't even remember where it was that we did that... north of Boulder and I think it was on the way to the park.

[RAFster122s]

Regarding 40 being nice, yes..once you acclimate to cold winter weather then 40 does feel warm...it is odd how it works.  Just like going into AZ from another part of the country where it is cold if you go in April or May thinking it is going to be a great experience.  Sometimes it is not because you aren't used to normal daytime temps of 80 and 90.  Tucson typically breaks 100 sometime in May.  If you are moving there you will not do so in summer unless you want to live in AC all summer...once you go through a season and merge into the spring and the warm up as it goes into the 80s, 90s, and on up it isn't as bad.  I dislike it around body temp... would rather it be 102 than around 98... It is wierd until you experience the difference.  The hotter weather is actually more pleasant than around body temp.

David

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

My former father in law bought me a bunch of very nice but pricey gear one Christmas and took me out to teach me in the balmy minus zero degree weather near Breckenridge. He was a pretty avid fisherman who led tours for friends.  The poor fish were just trying to stay alive and had no interest in the flies. I came back to fish in the Spring on the Platte - a much more pleasant experience.

[riverfever]

Yeah I don't know that I think winter is the most opportune time to teach someone to fly fish. Cold conditions and very selective trout (very much still feeding and active though) can make for a very humbling experience. I love taking people new out in the spring when the bows are getting freaky or in the fall when the browns are doing their thing and the Salmon are making a run. When we first moved out here the salmon run on the South Platte was remarkable and I'll always remember my first time fishing it. Salmon so thick you could walk across them. She generally prefers to read on the bank when she tags along but Heather has picked up a fly rod maybe twice and once was on a fall day where she got into a baker's dozen Kokanee and looked just like a pro doing it. Sadly, it's not like that anymore and I don't know that it will ever be again in my lifetime. The DOW used to have nets across the river and it was an operation where someone from DOW would literally be on the river 24/7 for about 6 weeks straight and they would gather sperm and eggs to be used at the hatcheries. They would also sometimes lift these giant browns over the nets so they could continue their travel upstream. Gill lice are to blame and wiped out a large number of the salmon from the reservoir.

Don you must have been on the Blue? What section of the Platte did you fish?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Yeah I don't know that I think winter is the most opportune time to teach someone to fly fish. Cold conditions and very selective trout (very much still feeding and active though) can make for a very humbling experience. I love taking people new out in the spring when the bows are getting freaky or in the fall when the browns are doing their thing and the Salmon are making a run. When we first moved out here the salmon run on the South Platte was remarkable and I'll always remember my first time fishing it. Salmon so thick you could walk across them. She generally prefers to read on the bank when she tags along but Heather has picked up a fly rod maybe twice and once was on a fall day where she got into a baker's dozen Kokanee and looked just like a pro doing it. Sadly, it's not like that anymore and I don't know that it will ever be again in my lifetime. The DOW used to have nets across the river and it was an operation where someone from DOW would literally be on the river 24/7 for about 6 weeks straight and they would gather sperm and eggs to be used at the hatcheries. They would also sometimes lift these giant browns over the nets so they could continue their travel upstream. Gill lice are to blame and wiped out a large number of the salmon from the reservoir.

Don you must have been on the Blue? What section of the Platte did you fish?

I think you're right about the Blue during the winter. I can't remember where the heck I was on the Platte. A good hour plus drive from Colorado Springs in a very remote area.