Green River Flyfishing Report 7.28.12

We had some good rain in Carbondale and the rivers blew out so we decided to take a little road trip.  The Green River Section A and B were calling us.  We had two good days of floating and got to enjoy God's beautiful scenery, fish and mountains.  Our friend MJ came with us on the trip and all of the fish were caught on dries!  The Arizona Deer and Bighorn Sheep results came out on our travel day so it was a great day all around.

Guesstimate-How to Field Judge and Score Desert Bighorn Sheep 6

This is my guesstimate for the blog post, "How to Field Judge and Score Desert Bighorn Sheep 6" At Colburn and Scott Outfitters we try to judge rams as closely as possible.  Comparing live rams to photos of rams that have been harvested where we know the exact official score helps us determine and analyze every horn length and quarter measurement.  Very rarely do the photos lie.  The main thing that jumps out at me when I see the subject ram from head on is the amount of drop that he has compared to his chin line.  When the bottom of the horn drops below the jawline that is a sign of length of horn, not to mention that it really makes the ram look good.  Another thing is that the horn seems to go back and then starts curving downward.  When you add those two together it makes for a longer horn. 

The above photo shows the subject ram.  Check out the good amount of drop and depth of curl.

For our examples below, I have spilt screened four rams respectively from left to right, Subject ram, Erik Swanson's ram, Subject ram #5, Ron Arndorfer's LOGO Ram. Erik and Ron's rams have been officially scored so it makes for good comparison. For simplicity sake each ram will be in the same order from left to right in each example photo.

Front On View from Left to Right, Subject ram, Erik Swanson's Ram, Subject Ram#5, Ron Arndorfer's Logo Ram

Left Horn View from Left to Right, Subject ram, Erik Swanson's Ram, Subject Ram#5, Ron Arndorfer's Logo Ram

Right Horn View from Left to Right, Subject ram, Erik Swanson's Ram, Subject Ram#5, Ron Arndorfer's Logo Ram

Front On View

Right Horn View

Left Horn View

Here is my guesstimate on the subject ram

Lets take a look at each measurement category as it relates to overall percentage of score
Horn Length- 70 1/8 or 41.4% of total score
Mass-  99 3/8 or 58.6% of total score

My guesstimate for this ram that is still roaming the hills is 169 5/8 Gross and he looks to be at least 7 years old.  With a a few more years this ram could really grow into his big frame and become a fantastic ram.  Once his mass fills in he will be a very special ram for some lucky tag holder.  Remember that mass is the most important aspect of score, so look for a ram that carries the mass from the base to the tip.

If you like this post you may be interested in these other posts below:
Field Judging and Scoring Desert Bighorn Sheep
Arizona Desert Sheep Hunting Videos by Colburn and Scott Outfitters
Arizona Desert Sheep Hunting Photos 1
Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunts

How to Field Judge and Score Desert Bighorn Sheep 6

Here is the next ram for the How to Field Judge and Score Desert Bighorn Sheep series.  There are several ways to post your guess of this ram, by clicking the title of this Blog Post then adding a comment or putting your score on our facebook page.  You can guess overall gross score, horn length on each side and the mass/quarter measurements.  Also put your estimate on the age of the ram.

Front On level angle of Rams horn

Right Horn Angle

Front On Slight Quarter Angle

Left Horn Angle

Left Horn Slight Down Angle

If you like this post you may be interested in these other posts below:
Field Judging and Scoring Desert Bighorn Sheep
Arizona Desert Sheep Hunting Videos by Colburn and Scott Outfitters
Arizona Desert Sheep Hunting Photos 1
Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunts

Roaring Fork River Fly Fishing 7.19.12

Here is the latest report from Colorado.  The water continues to drop everyday and is getting scary low.  The rains are helping a little but it could be interesting in another month or so.  Water temps in the morning are around 49-50 and about 58 by noon.  I haven't been out in the evenings to get a temp reading.  I caught a big rainbow in the third picture down and managed to snap a photo of it in the small net.  Then this morning my friend Jack and I went out at sunrise and he hooked into a really big fish.   His fish although we didn't measure exactly was in the 24-25 inch range and probably 9+ lbs.  He was caught on a streamer in moving water.  It has been fun specifically targeting big fish in the morning then fishing hoppers after that.  Arizona deer and sheep results should be posted soon and I am getting excited for the fall season.  Check out video at bottom of Jack's fish.

Here is my big rainbow caught on streamer

My big rainbow was sitting against the far bank and hit my streamer with force

 The pics below are of Jack's big rainbow.  What a fish!

For reference the net is just under 23 inches long and his fish hung out on both sides!  Thank the Lord for trout and moving water!

Roaring Fork Fly Fishing 7.18.12

It's hopper time here in Colorado!  I noticed some hoppers in the grass the other day so I decided to tie some up and give it a whirl.  Yep it worked.