"It's a New Year"

I love the fact this is the last holiday for awhile, I love family and friends but a lot of em don't like to be outside as much as me the time of year.  The ice is building in the hills and here we come.  

I sometimes wonder how and why we look at the new year and celebrate so much.  It really is just another day, right?  Nature doesn't act any different, do they the animals know its all new?  I think we are still gonna suffer the consequences of our choices good as well bad.  Even though the year changed, my fishing skills did not magically change overnight. 

Oh I just thought maybe its just a reason to act silly and party.  It does give a full day of fishen not silly but lots of fun in the work week, if you kept yourself from getting to silly the night before.  If it was a change in seasons I guess I could get my head around it more.  I still think I am missing out on something when I think about fishing  and going to bed before the ball drops. 

What's the deal with a ball dropping anyway, sounds like somebody is trying to steal it and dropped it, oops.  When the bell sounds seems more appropriate.  I sure could find more reason to celebrate if it was when the winter solstice cycled just past the longest day of darkness.  I guess, I should stop, this is getting dark and depressing.  I'm gonna go fishing and think about how fun and silly I get to be standing on the ice enjoying nature with a friend.  

If I had a goal it is to keep doing that which I already enjoy and reduce those things I don't.  Goal/Resolution crud there goes my mind trying to figure this thing out, yikes I better get out on the ice. 

SO GLAD I CAN LOOK OUT A WINDOW AND VIEW CREATION, IT DOES GIVE ME PEACE AND HOPE.

Happy New Year and God Bless,
Steve G.

Merry Christmas!

Folks please accept a very heart felt Merry Christmas, I truly believe God gave us his only son so we could have some form of PEACE on earth.  I know we all have our challenges and heartbreaks.

Please remember to find some way to give at Christmas (outside of your immediate family).  I really enjoy fishing, right, so last week I had the opportunity to take a fellow out to ice fish for a few hours while he had a break before a show in his hectic schedule of tuning drums for a family member of mine. This fellow, we will call J, spends his idle time much like I do - what are the fish and animals doing right now?  Keep in mind some days J only sees the back of a stage and the bowels of a venue, an airport or the inside of a semi trailer. 

I was so amazed at the life he is passionate about with music and the entertainment industry.  He truly focuses another whole being in the focus and joy of the outdoors.  So you know how you have a feeling about some folks, how they are part of your destiny and path on this earth for some reason.  Well this is a story of a flow of that. 

I met J in Dallas 2 years ago after hearing stories about his love of the outdoors and just how settled he was in his walk thru life.  Bang there was that feeling.  Cool dude, great soul and a parallel passion of the outdoors. So he travels and our paths have crossed a few times and we shook hands, chatted and spoke of some day.  The lovely lady I hang out with (married 32 +- years) remembers the shared passion and suggests to take J fishing last week. 

We set it up thru folks and we took off to fish last Thurs. on the ice at C Creek in Aurora, Colorado.  The ice is 4" thick and clear, I had fished it a couple of times this year already.  We had aprox. 2.5  hours to drive, dress, fish and eat a meal before the show. The life of a supporter of a rock star???  J is from Missouri and loves to fish crappie back home, our target for our flash fish is walleye, it had just gotten dark and J says hey I have one. Remember we want walleye, up thru the hole comes a 13.5 " crappie a trophy fish in any water and a dandy if comparing to Missouri. We run out of time have to leave and loading up J says thanks that was the  most fun I have ever had.  I had to challenge that with a few questions.

Ya he was right except for a few life things like having a daughter or the joy of marriage to a lovely woman. He was telling the truth. In looking back on this I was having a blast just hanging out with someone I hope will become a new friend and just want to be out doing what we both loved.  I got what I always hope to give and that was a opportunity to try something new.  I had no idea this was a first time ice fishing for him.  I would have stressed, not been so relaxed and would have done some more to comfort him on the ice for the first time.  Instead he got the Hurry Up Getter Done version of an ice fishing trip.  It was just what was to be called for, he was so joyful to just experience something I take for granted sometimes. 

I received the joy of giving and sharing the craft of fishing and the outdoors with someone whose soul is fueled like mine.  Hunt and Gather well J, I can't wait for the next opportunity with you and/or a guide client.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and the Joy and some of the Peace we can find in this world by giving to others from just being together without boundaries and sharing a like desire.

Blessing,
Steve G

P. S. Here comes the Ice on the larger higher lakes.

Playing on the Somebody Else's Playground!

Its here (The ICE) but not at my playground, so I am gonna go sample the other play grounds - i.e. lakes around the state.  The ice is somewhat safe on a few lakes and here I come.  Some of the things I think about on early ice are:

1. Where is that spud bar?

2. Is there a rope and something to throw in the sled (Ice Axe)?

3. Who is going with me? 

4. Are they bigger than me (Not usually, ya I usually get to test the ice)?

5. Ya the floating ice-fishing suit will float me I tell myself.  Tried it, its not a life jacket, floats you all over, it does fill and make moving difficult

6. Where are those ice cleats? If my fat a__ falls and smacks the ice I know its gonna break it and go thru. 

SO I have all I need, here we go out on the ice every 10 feet popping a hole or spading thru with spud bar, its safe, its clear and the spikes are on.

My buddy has a mountaineering ice axe to throw at me if the worst happens.  I have never fallen thru the ice, but have been with those who have!  Wear those safety picks.  Play on somebody else's playground until yours freezes up safely.

Enjoy and use the most important tool, our brains so we can do this all our lives, show others and enjoy our families.  Share the craft and share the joy of fishing.

Full Moons I hate Warm Fall

Full Moons I hate full moons in the fall when they are this warm and the elk seem to be not willing to migrate. So it is, I zagged on a zig elk hunt so far.  It's warm, the season is holding long for all species except the one I want for my table.  Solitude, sleeping in a cold tent, long walks (still hunts) daily.  Boredom as a blessing, mediation as a gift. 

Could not think of a better way to spend time, except if I could keep my wife comfortable to see all this with me, but 15-20 degree nights and I will pass on that. 

After this it is the planning for ice season.  Oh and I hope at least one walleye trip in December to Glendo for some eats til ice forms. 

Full Moon

I love the full moons in the fall, the harvest moon with the veggies & the beginning of the fall fishing. The hunters moon and the fall fishing being full swing. I wish had more of the symbiotic relationships with the moon and photo period more dialed in as to be more aware and at peace with my place in nature.

So for what I know right now is:

The kokanees are almost ripe in most lakes in Grand County, Co.

The Lakers are spawning in the rocks at this time (catchable from Shore with Spoons PK of coarse ).

The Pike are sashing all types of baits

The walleyes are on the feed eating cranks and spoons PK Of Coarse.

An elk is gonna walk in front of me in range of my weapon.

The biggest thing, I think of and feel is the urgency to prepare for winter and prepare to rest, like all the animals I pursue.  What a gift this connection to creation is, sometimes when I am outside all I can think of is 'Amen.'

FYI no blog next week.

Gathering and Nesting in the Fall - ? do fish do dat ?

I love the color in the hills and its starting here in the lower sections of town. Its time to gather the meat for winter. You know the fish do the same by putting on the feed bag while the smaller fish begin to stress, consuming as many calories as possible.  It is a great time for all minnow type baits and most of all spoons ( PK ) of course. Twitch, snap em. 

I wonder if fish get that nesty feeling we humans get around this season of slowing down near a fire or gathering those final items in prep for the winter season ahead. I think they do as I always seem to find them where I last found them from the boat, under the ice they don't move far. 

So keep fishing, gathering data and winter meals. Fish chowder may be for lunch today, think about the season change.

A Day Late - Should have been here YESTERDAY

Wow, definitely having one of those weeks where I am behind by a day.  I think about the guys you go fishing with or even if ya take somebody fishing.  The fish have turned off and you can't find a solution.  Then your mind starts to think, man you should have been here yesterday.

When I work at the desk, like I have a lot this week following a trade show for PK Lures, I start behind the eight ball already missing near a weeks worth of correspondence and thoughtful effort.  The computer screen starts to look like the sonar screen and the fish won't bite it hard enough to choose a target fish or even school of fish. 

Then, I remember this can be just like that or those days of 'you should have been here yesterday.'  I usually can end up producing the fish I need by slowing down, looking at the issue in a smaller set and prioritize the info in front of me, instead of looking at all those sonar marks or items on the to do list as a whole.  Just pick one and work on it until it is either solved, caught or the information is extracted.

Oh by the way the trade show was a wonderful success, be looking in stores soon for some new colors of Flutterfish and PK Spoons. Also the PK Predator, a new panfish and trout lure that has rocked in testing.

The fall fishing has begun in the mountains, go up, see some color and be greeted by fish whom are happy to see a meal.