Greetings from Aloha Hair, Nails, Tanning Spa and Coffee house here in Page AZ. Not a bad first week of retirement. I spent the first couple days of the sabbatical at Lee’s Ferry. Fishing was good in the AM but I spent the afternoons doing my best not to hook myself due to the wind. I decided to take a break from the wind and go for drive, ended up in Utah. Still windy but now very cold too, overnight lows in the teens and I’m camping out. Run off was heavy in the creeks and rivers so I hit some still water instead. The fishing was good on the lake, landed some very angry bows, plus some nice tigers and cutthroats. The weather looked like it was taking a turn for the worse so I took safe harbor with some friends down in Page AZ. Today’s plan is to wait out the cold front here and do some striper fishing on Lake Powell in between storms.
Anyone have a suggestion for the next destination? I’m thinking southwestern Colorado. Has the salmon fly hatch started up in Idaho or Montana?

Lee’s Ferry Arizona

Utah Tiger Trout

Utah Cutthroat Trout

Utah Camp

I took another break from procrastinating packing. Convinced a friend to go for a hike and hit my favorite spot in AZ for a 3 day weekend.

RK’s Brown

Update:

I took a break from packing last week and ran up to Northern AZ with some friends for some Pike fishing.  I’m going to hit a couple AZ favorites over the next couple weeks and then hit the road for the long haul. 

My first pike.      

Kung Fu Sabbatical 13

Fair warning, this could be a midlife crisis unfolding.

A year ago, on my 13^th work anniversary I came to the conclusion that I needed a change-up.  I thought about quitting my job and walking the Old West from town to town solving local scofflaw issues with Kung-Fu.  What I needed was another year to save some money and learn Kung-Fu.   Here we are a year later, I’ve given my employer 2 months’ notice, and I’m out of here Mid April.

As it turns out, I didn’t save as much as planned and failed to learn any Kung Fu whatsoever.  New plan: I’m going fly fishing.  I’m going to sell or give away what’s not nailed down, pack my gear, and hit the road.  With a no frills budget, I can make it maybe 9-12 months before I have to figure out a new career.  Camping and fishing for a week or so at a time, then head back to whatever town and cheap motel is nearby for a cleanup and supplies.  I don’t have an itinerary, just going to follow the weather and fish.

I picked up fly fishing 5 years ago, my first real trip was to the White mountains.  I was addicted; it’s the only way to mix fishing and (ADHD).  After that, I rearranged my life to get in 40-60 days a year on the water.   Excluding one salmon fishing trip to Yakutat, Alaska and a week in southern Utah, I’ve been spending almost all of my time fishing the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains of AZ.   For my sabbatical, I’m very interested in fishing moving water, but still plan on bringing my float tube.  I have a capable 4×4 and I’m in good shape.   That said, I don’t own any rappelling gear and I’d rather not free-climb any frozen waterfalls.   No Bear Grylls B.S. for me.

Too much water not enough time and money.  Unfortunately I can’t cross off the entire “1000 places to fish before you die” list on this particular adventure.  While keeping my options open, I feel that I’d like to focus or at least start the fly fishing sabbatical out West.  I’m thinking UT, CO, ID, MT, WY, NV, and possibly B.C. would be a good start.

What I do need is some direction.  I’m not looking for anyone’s honey hole, but a state, river or lake, and a time of year would be greatly appreciated.  What was your best trip?  What is the trip you always wanted to go on?   What should I start with in April ‘bows, browns, brooks, bulls, cutts, pike, salmon, steelhead?

I’ll post location updates, let me know if you’re in the area and want to go fishing.

Feel free to contact me.

mmuzzyaz@gmail.com

Topics to cover later:

Camping suggestions?  Preferably not all pay to stay crowded parking lot campsites, then again, I don’t want to go “Castaway” style and start calling my fly rod, “Wilson”.

Gladly accepting all corporate sponsorships!  Wrap my 4Runner with your logo for gas cards!  Front windshield decal 3x extra.  Kind of joking, but not.

I’d like start a blog or something to send to my chump (working for the man) friends to make them jealous.  Facebook, blogspot, website, suggestions.

-Muzzy

mmuzzyaz@gmail.com