For meeting up with wildlife.
It started out normal, like all the years before seeing deer, elk and a skunk or two. But it ended with a bang. Bears were plenty this year, more than usual I'd say, but they generally aren't a problem.
I had this guy watching me fish while eating a grouse.
He was one of the smaller ones I had seen, and we had, well, I had a good time just watching him eat and he watching me fish.
But the highlight of the year was in Oct.. It was a cold cloudy day, and I wanted to fish the willows in the Wild Basin. The brook trout char were just about to get ready to spawn, so I grabbed my two weight rod and headed out into the wild. When I arrived to the spot, it was dead quiet, and though I was expecting a little wind, there was none, and that always makes me smile.
I started out pretty good catching brookies with a size 18 purple nymph. The scenery was turning into some beautiful Autumn colors, and a flock of geese broke the silence with their calling. It was pure heaven there that day, and I was the only one around for miles. But the best colors were on the fish.
The fishing was good for these small feisty finned fish, aggressive as always they were. But near the end of the day is when it all came together.
I was standing in the creek untangling my flies and minding my own business, and out of nowhere I heard two heavy thumps coming from my left. I slowly looked to see a young bull moose staring right at me with his head down low. So close I could have cleaned out it's nostrils with the tip of my rod. I did the only thing I knew to do. I looked away and started talking calmly to him as I steadily moved upstream. I kept looking back quickly to see what it was going to do, and it was looking at me with it's ears cocked, which is a sign of curiosity. He started moving towards me and I just kept talking and moving ahead. I turned back again believing to see him right behind me, but was thankful to see he decided to move along into the willows.
As he went up into the willows I heard another noise behind me through the brush. I looked through the willows and saw the biggest moose head towering over the willows with his eyes rolled back. He started slashing the willows with his huge antlers and was moving my way in a deliberate motion. It's rutting season, and I figured it wasn't me he was coming for, but that he didn't like the younger bull in his area becaause he probably had a cow with him. Though either way, I was not going to be caught between these tow titans of the woods if a battle was to begin. So I thought I had one shot to get a photo of this giant before he was on top of me, so I lifted my phone and pushed the button. When I heard the click, I got out of there. After I was safely down stream I could hear the sound of the younger one swiftly leaving the area, and grateful he was going another direction. But here's the photo of the big guy. It's not the best, but it was enough for me. If you look directly in the middle of the photo you will see his antlers and the top of his shoulders as he was thrashing his way towards me.
I figured it was a good ending to a great day of sport, so off to the truck I went.
My last outing for the year was strange as well. Being the first day of November, it was quite warm, and we were expecting a good snow storm the following day, so I thought I'd go up the canyon and try my luck in the St. Vrain River. As I was walking along the dirt road I came across this guy. I'm very glad I saw him move out of the corner of my eye, or else it would have ruined my day real quick. In all the years fishing and whatever in the wild, this is the first one I have ever seen in the wild, and they are everywhere here.
Yes, it was a fascinating year, and I hope this new one will bring new excitement. It's Colorado, so why shouldn't it?
